


You Take the Pirate, I’ll Take the Witch

by AmeliaAsherWrites, Wickedly_Hooked (TheDarkOne)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, F/M, Roleplay Style, Roleplaying Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-13 06:17:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21489748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmeliaAsherWrites/pseuds/AmeliaAsherWrites, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkOne/pseuds/Wickedly_Hooked
Summary: Constant bad luck for Killian and his crew, a fortune teller’s vision, and a case of mistaken identity (or fate) cause Killian and Zelena's paths to cross.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Wicked Witch of the West | Zelena
Comments: 10
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is written in role play style meaning a works by two authors.

Killian  
A series of unfortunate events had speckled Killian Jones’ timeline. The events became ever more numerous as time progressed forward until he was becoming exasperated and sought out advice from a type of person he’d never encountered before.

“They say she can see bad omens upon a… a person,” Smee said, his eyes shifting away from his captain as his fingers worried the red cap in his hands.

“So you think I’ve got a bad omen upon me specifically, do you, Smee?” Killian frowned at his First Mate, almost daring him to deny it. It was as if Smee even implying such a thing was a bad omen in itself.

“No,” Smee said hurriedly. “But it’s much worse an omen to say a ship has a curse upon it.”

Killian winced, baring his teeth at such a thing. No, he bloody well did not want his precious ship to have a bad omen or curse upon it. But what else would explain all of the things that had been happening over the years. Could he simply accept that he himself was cursed to a fate of misery? Villains don’t get happy endings.

Even docking in Neverland for a few years here and there hadn’t exactly saved them from this particular aspect of Time. Rotting boards on the Jolly was one thing; that could be fixed. His and Liam’s terrible childhood, it was Liam’s death, the loss of Milah, the loss of Killian’s hand; and then once again in Neverland, he’d been too aggressive after finding Milah’s son and then promptly lost Baelfire to Neverland’s wilderness. At least the lad hadn’t become one of Pan’s army. Even avoiding Neverland hadn’t helped Killian’s case. He’d lost five crew members over just the past year and his crew numbers were dwindling. He’d had these men in his crew since his brother had lived well over a century ago.

He sighed, and gestured onward to Smee. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.” They were off to see a fortune teller. The woman lived in the woods of Misthaven and was reputed to be able to get rid of curses. Or cast new ones if her clients were particularly ill-suited to her. Killian would have to mind his temper if he was to get what he needed out of her. He couldn’t simply threaten a woman like that, after all. Nor could he attempt to sweet-talk her if she knew he was merely trying to get what he wanted out of her.

The pathway became lit with fireflies and some sort of glowing worm appeared to brighten lanterns as they neared, then would fade as the captain and first mate continued toward the hut. Crickets and frogs prattled on in their mating melodies. Smee plopped his red hat back upon his balding head and began worrying his fingers into his jacket instead. “Calm down, Smee,” Killian advised under his breath as he glared at their surroundings. He had a feeling they were being watched.

The door opened upon its own volition as Killian raised his hook to knock, but he slowly lowered his arm and stepped inside, evidently with invitation.

The inside of the hut was decorated in a sheet of some material so thin, it could have been blankets of cobwebs, but it glittered like clouds. It seemed to be foggy within the hut but that barely made any sense. Perhaps the fortune teller was smoking. He sniffed the air but found it merely smelled similar to the outdoors.

Smee was beginning to tremble, the poor sod, and Killian had to whack the man’s arm as a reminder.

“Come closer, pirates,” a voice called. “Captain…?”

Killian was surprised, obviously, but he was not going to show it. “Ah, so we need no introduction, I see. Captain Killian…”

“I know who you are, Hook. And your ratty mate, Mister Smee. Yes, come in and shut the door. I’ve got enough lizards in here. Don’t need any more slinking in.”

Killian pasted a close-lipped smile on his face as he slowly walked in, still looking around for these lizards she claimed to have. How odd. And then he saw the chair with a draping curtain parted. A woman wearing a cloak and hood sat in the seat. Her ringed fingers were upon the table top. She wore so much kohl around her eyes, Killian was almost amazed as it bested his abilities on his drunkest days.

“I’m…” he started but the woman raised a hand to stop him.

“I know why you’re here, too. Do you have payment?” she asked.

Killian shut his mouth at being interrupted twice now and side-eyed Smee who held the bag. Smee double-looked at Killian realizing it was his cue to react and, said in a startled manner, “Oh! Yes! I mean, aye. I have it.” Fumbling, he drew the drawstring bag from inside his shirt and carefully, and quite nervously set it on the table with a soft clink and hurriedly stepped back beside his captain.

The woman picked up the bag, barely even appearing to register the weight nor had she bothered to look in the bag and dropped it in a basket over-flowing with other similar looking bags. The woman must have a fortune in that pile! Killian observed.

“Come. Let me take a drop of your blood and we shall begin.”

Killian raised his lip in disgust but stepped forward. When he saw the needle in the woman’s hand, he shook his head. “If blood will be drawn, I’ll be the one spilling it.” He raised his hand and drew the point of his hook across his palm, making a neat, red line appear. The woman snatched his hand and scraped the blood off with her fingernail. Again, Killian was a bit disgusted by this and pulled a black cloth from his pocket to wrap around the middle of his hand. But still, he watched with undivided fascination.

She wiped the blood on a mirror on her table and stared at it. She blinked, jerked her head back, and let out a single cackle of, “HA!”

Looking up at Killian and Smee, she smirked. “Well this was quite easy. I have the solution to your problem.”

Killian’s eyebrows shot up. “Aye? What do I need to do?”

The woman’s smirk turned into a broad grin and she cackled again, evidently thinking this was amusing, despite Killian’s growing displeasure of standing in this hut and being laughed at.

“All you’ve got to do is kidnap the Princess of Misthaven.”

Killian waited a beat, then said, “Aye? And then?” Kidnapping some princess he’d never met shouldn’t be too difficult, but then what to do with her once he’s got her?

The woman crossed her arms over her chest. “Your problems originated when you took that pegasus feather sail. You should never have dabbled in magic in the first place. Magic has tainted your soul and those surrounding you. Kidnapping the Princess of Misthaven will prevent you from further tainting your soul into the blackest pits of darkness.”

Now it was the fortune teller’s turn to shiver as she stared at Killian. “You must leave. Your future is too dark for even this place. Find the Princess. Drop her on a deserted island. Kill her if you like, whatever, just as long as you take her out of Misthaven and promptly get rid of her before it’s too late. For us all...” She reached up and yanked on her curtains surrounding her table and chair, thus concealing her from view.

“Wait a bloody minute,” Killian demanded as he stepped forward and pulled the curtain aside with his hook. But the woman was gone. The table was clean and there was no tablecloth or mirror. “What the devil…?” he muttered.

“Sir, can we… get out of here? I’m completely creeped out.”

Killian nodded at Smee, starting to feel much the same. The blackest pits of darkness? What the devil, indeed.

After they were outside again, Killian felt as if he hadn’t realized his lungs felt constricted in that hut, and now he could breathe again. “Remind me never to seek out a fortune teller again,” Killian said in relief as they began to walk toward the castle.

Drawing nearer, they saw caravans of merchants selling goods promoting an upcoming ball. Appropriate attire, footwear, swords, soaps, food; anything one would need to watch royalty from distant kingdoms as they would approach the castle. And if the commoners wanted to dress like royalty, they could so long as they could afford the finer clothes the merchant was peddling. Killian flipped through the jackets as he contemplated this. His black leather coat and hook marked him as a nefarious villain and there was no way he’d get into the castle as such. He needed to be… a prince to gain audience with the princess. Then he could court her and ask her to dance with him outside for some fresh air and quiet so they could talk. And then he’d simply carry her off with him. Grinning, his fingers ran along the finely made jacket that caught his eye. It was brown with black lapels that stood up around the wearer’s neck. It was his size and he was able to purchase it. He had plenty more gold even after paying the fortune teller. He was damn near rich enough to appear like a prince. Not rich enough to hire footmen and a carriage, but he could get by without. Perhaps he could simply say his carriage broke down and he had to walk the rest of the way so as not to be late to the ball. That sounded acceptable and he told Smee after leaving the merchant cart, his leather coat given to Smee to tote around for him. He needed to find a wood carver so he could get a wooden hand made. A prince would not have a hook after all. They didn’t exactly lead a dangerous lifestyle where one might get his hand removed after fighting with a bloody crocodile over a magic bean and a woman.

Sighing at his own reminder of his misfortunes, Killian shook the thought away. He needed to find this damned princess so his luck would turn around finally.

The blasted guards weren’t buying his act. Bloody hell. Killian hadn’t encountered a prince in decades, perhaps half a century by now, so he did not have the proper knowledge to name his familiarity with any of the local royalty in order to place himself among them. They didn’t recognize him and he failed.

Becoming irritated, KIllian smashed the new wooden hand and had to discard it. But he wouldn’t give up. So they would take a separate entrance ‘round the back of the castle near the lake in the woods.

Killian stopped in his tracks and slapped his arm across Smee’s barrel chest to get him to stop and observe as well. There was a woman ahead and she was dressed in fine materials. Emblazoned in gold thread on the material just below her decolletage, he saw the crest of Misthaven monarchy. A swan. “Got you, Princess,” he thought to himself with a devilish smirk. Her ginger locks were pulled back in a pearl-net setting. It had to be the princess because he would accept no other option than what the fortune teller told him. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so difficult after all.

“Hello there!” Killian called out with a hand raised. He tried to keep his hook out of sight along his thigh or with his arm behind his back. “We are lost. We are trying to get to the entrance to the ball.”

He bowed as he saw her as a striking beauty, simply stunned at the pale blue of her eyes and kept his own eyes on her. When he stood again, he spoke his name. “I am Prince Killian of..” Think of somewhere far away, he thought to himself, “Arendelle,” he said suddenly. “I’m a distant cousin of her majesty.” There. That would do it.

Zelena  
Ever since Zelena had began to work in the castle (or more - she had been sold to serve there by her father), she couldn’t say it had been bad luck for her to end here.  
She had been a child of 12 years when her father had brought her here, and left without her, but took along a well filled satchel. He never returned.  
She remembered how scared she had been alone in such a large building with people she didn’t know, but they took good care of her. She had to work, yes, but she was treated well, and she got new clothes. Servant clothes until the day half of the household was sick. An epidemic, she was told, and Zelena had no idea what that meant. However, miraculously, she didn’t get sick at all, and it was the day when she was told to serve dinner for the royal family. She had never even seen them until that day, and she was quite nervous.

When she entered the great hall for the first time in her life her jaw dropped, and she looked around in awe. She was serving the mushroom soup for the princess while two other maids were serving the same soup for their majesties.  
“Zelena, don’t stare,” Brianna, a nice motherly maid whispered to Zelena, and the girl hurried to get to the princess.  
“Your soup, princess. I hope you will enjoy it.”  
Brianna and the other maid looked at Zelena in shock, and the princess stared at her. It was suddenly silent in the hall, and Zelena looked around. Everyone stared at her, and she suddenly remembered that Brianna had told her _not_ to address the princess or any other of the royal highnesses, and _make a curtsey_.

Zelena blushed, and made her second mistake. She quickly made a curtsey, but forgot that she was still carrying the soup. The plate dipped to the side, and the soup landed on the carpet, right beside the Princess’ shoes.  
“I’m… SO sorry,” Zelena said, and dived under the table to clean up the mess. She was all red in her face, and knew she was in trouble, but then she heard a giggling.  
Confused she looked up, and saw it was the Princess who was giggling. She even covered her mouth with her hand.  
Zelena’s eyes wandered to her parents, and while the King furrowed his brows, the Queen smiled. 

“Thank you!” The Princess eventually said. “You saved me! I dislike mushroom soup very much, and I know this was the last.”  
She looked at her parents. “Don’t be mad at her, I like her. And father, you promised me I can have a friend.”  
The Princess looked at Zelena, and asked, “What’s your name? Would you like to see my dolls?”

It was the day when Zelena and the Princess became friends. In fact, Zelena felt like she was the sister of the princess. Suddenly she didn’t have to work in the kitchen anymore. She became the personal maid of the Princess, got new clothes, and both girls became best friends. Even the King and the Queen accepted this new friendship, and Zelena and the Princess grew up together. 

As they got older they still were inseparable, and for the Princess, it was time to get married.  
“Zelena, I need your help,” the Princess said when she came back into her room. She had just had a conversation with her parents, and they told her there would be a ball for her to find a husband.  
“What happened,” Zelena asked, and turned to her. She had just hung up the dresses in the wardrobe, but sat down beside her friend.  
“They want me to get married! But I how shall I find a man who loves _me_ and not the Princess? They only see my crown, but no one sees me,” she burst out.  
Zelena patted her hand. “Then we have to give you a chance to meet them incognito,” she suggested, and tried to come up with something.  
The Princess’ expression lightened, and she said “Of course! We just have to switch roles! Tomorrow already the Princes will arrive, and I just need to pretend to be you! That’s it!”  
“But… how…,” Zelena wanted to object, but her friend was so excited that she didn’t know what to say to change her mind. 

And so they switched roles the next day. The Princess mingled with the crowd, and pretended to be the daughter of a nobleman while Zelena stayed in her room. She had to, because the guards had been fooled too, and thought they would guard the Princess. To make sure they thought the Princess would be there, Zelena did what a Princess would do.  
Hours later the real Princess returned, and she was in love. Zelena saw it, and she told her about the Prince she fell for.  
Zelena was happy, and to thank her for being such a good friend, the Princess insisted that Zelena should attend the ball as well. She also insisted that she would wear a dress of her own, and on the day the ball occurred she even let a hairdresser come who arranged her ginger curls under a pearl-net. 

“You look like a real Princess,” the Princess said, and gave Zelena an approving look.  
“Won’t your parents be mad when I wear one of your dresses,” she asked.  
“Don’t worry, they already know because I asked them. They allowed it. And I will be announced so there shouldn’t be anyone who would think you’re the Princess. Don’t worry.”  
Zelena smiled. “In that case… thank you!” She hugged her friend, and Zelena even got some jewelry for the evening.

The ball was amazing, and there were some men who asked Zelena for a dance. She enjoyed her time, but after some hours needed a moment alone and some fresh air.  
So she slipped out of the Castle, and walked down the garden in the back.

“Hello there!” A voice suddenly sounded, and Zelena looked up to see two men. One looked like a Prince, the other was probably his servant. They were lost, and Zelena gave the Prince a closer look. She liked him. He seemed to be nice and good looking.  
He bowed, and introduced himself, and Zelena did a courtesy.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, your highness.” She was tempted to say who she was, but the Princess was busy with another man, and Zelena thought this one was quite handsome and charming, and why shouldn’t they talk a bit. As long as she didn’t introduce herself she wasn’t lying about who she really was.

“Prince Killian of Arendelle, you just have to follow this way.” She pointed at the way she had just walked down. “It will lead to the garden, and once you’re there you will see the entrance,” she said, and hoped she could come up with something she could ask, but her brain seemed to be empty.

Killian  
When he neared the princess, Killian saw how fair she was with bright eyes like a clear day’s sky. His lips parted slightly and for a moment, the reasoning for this entire endeavor completely slipped his mind. He was supposed to do away with her for some reason… Perhaps after he enjoyed her company first. It would be something to actually escort the princess into the castle, wouldn’t it? Perhaps he really could go through with his plan to court her first, kidnap later. 

A grin pulled at the corners of Killian’s mouth as he simply looked at her. When she called him ‘your highness,’ he chuckled. “Please,” he started, shaking his head at how ridiculous it sounded for him to be addressed at such a title. “This is your ball, Princess. I should be calling you, Your Highness. Please, call me Killian.” 

His eyes turned to look in the direction she gestured which would be a side entrance. Perfect, he thought. And as Killian turned his head to look back at the princess, his eyes widened in sudden alarm. Behind her, Smee was raising a large stick and was about to club the princess in the back of the head. “Ahhh!” he said, and jerked his head toward the castle as he reached out to pull the princess toward him a step. “I was hoping that you would accompany me there. Perhaps, we could dance?” 

He realized he had just grabbed a royal member of the kingdom. She could have him executed for that. What a way to further his own bad luck. Blasted Smee! Killian shot a dirty look at his first mate. Smee was looking back at his captain like he had lost his wits. Perhaps he had. This princess was the key to his soul being forever tainted with darkness according to the fortune teller. How could that be true? She seemed completely innocent. 

Too late, he realized his left arm had moved from behind his back so that the hook was now visible. It was too bad he hadn’t taken the time to find the woodcarver. They could have had a lovely evening before he literally swept her off her feet. He looked down at his hook, before looking back up at the Princess with regret in his facial expression mixed with resignation. Sighing, he tightened his grip on her hand. “Alas, I’m afraid I’ve given myself away.” Grinning wider, he shrugged. “You’re coming with us, Princess.”

Zelena  
This prince was so charming! Zelena giggled lightly when he insisted on addressing her ‘Your Highness’ and offered her to call him Killian.  
“What a lovely name, Prince Killian,” she said. She felt bad because he thought she was the Princess, but she still hadn’t lied to him about that, had she? He only _assumed_ she would be the Princess, and everything Zelena did was _not_ correcting him.  
She felt tempted to follow him back to the castle once he would go, and was surprised when he suddenly jerked his head towards the castle, grabbed her hand, and pulled her toward him.

She frowned, and was about to ask what had gotten into him when he asked her to escort her back to the castle to dance with her.  
Zelena’s cheek began to glow, and she nodded.  
“I would love to, Prince Killian,” she was about to make another curtsy and while lowering her head she saw a hook in place of where his left hand should be.  
Her eyes widened, and she looked into his face.  
Something in his expression changed, and Zelena thought he might be ashamed of having a hook instead of a hand, but then she realized that there should be probably _anything_ but a hook.

She wanted to back away, but his grip tightened on her hand. And then he told her that she would come with them.  
It took a moment for Zelena to realize that she was in danger, and she opened her mouth to scream for help.

Killian  
Killian watched the princess’s face as it dawned on her that he was up to no good where it pertained to her. A shame it was that he had scared her so. He rather enjoyed seeing her happy. No matter. She certainly wouldn’t be unhappy for long. 

When he saw signs of her about to shout for help, Killian’s eyes quickly went to Smee and he nodded. His first mate was ready and whalloped the princess with the stick. 

Killian winced as he leaned forward to catch her before she hit the ground. “A shame she has to be a princess, Smee,” Killian said as he adjusted her position so he could easily heft her middle over his shoulder. A princess could never, nor would ever fancy a pirate, but he thought she was rather fetching and might be nice to toy with for a little while until he grew bored of her.

“Oh?” Smee asked, half listening as he poked through the brush near where the princess had been standing. They couldn’t allow any sign of struggle to indicate that she had been taken. There would certainly be hounds searching for her by daybreak at the latest. But by then, they would be on the Jolly, gone from Misthaven, and perhaps even gone from this realm. 

“Aye,” Killian said rather conversationally. His arm was tucked just above the back of her knees as he began to walk through the trees. Dusk had already began to approach and he hoped they could avoid any roads on the way to the harbor. “I’d fancy a lass that wouldn’t mind life on the sea, but a princess has duties that keep her feet on land. Shame I have to kill this one. I hope she hasn’t found a suitor at this ball. It would be a bloody inconvenience to have a dedicated and vengeful prince’s armada after us.” It was either her life or his, and he rather enjoyed being on the top side of the Underworld. 

Smee nodded. “We’re one step closer to turning our luck around. I’ll get the men to hasten as soon as we board.” 

Killian pondered over the fortune teller’s words. She had said just to get the princess out of Misthaven. He wouldn’t allow her to seep her darkness into his soul but he would find out how exactly she had planned to do that to him. 

Zelena  
Before she could bring out a single word something hit the back of her head and before Zelena lost consciousness she felt that strong arms caught her before she would hit the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Zelena  
When she began to wake up again she first felt the pain in her head. Her stomach was the next that caused her trouble. It was squeezed and her world was moving back and forth. She groaned and when she slowly opened her eyes the ground under her was swaying. She smelled leather and her hands that were dangling in the air felt for support.  
She touched Killian's arse without realizing it, and just became aware that someone had thrown her over his shoulder and carried her.

Zelena began to struggle when she remembered what had happened, and this time she managed to scream.

Killian  
The sudden squirming on his shoulder was followed immediately with a strike to his arse and Killian’s eyes turned toward the velvet covered arse rounding his shoulder. His left arm tightened on her legs to keep her from falling off her perch. She screamed and Smee turned to face his captain, but altogether, neither man was too perturbed. They were walking among the crowds of the harbor now. No one would be amiss at a wench being hauled aboard. “Ah, it seems the princess has awoken, Smee,” Killian said with marked joviality. “And she’s taken a rather fondness to my rear attributes.” He was chuckling as he raised his hand and smacked her a good one on her bum before moving his hand back to his side.

“Turnabout is fair play, Princess,” he said to her, still grinning as his eyes moved to the looming sight of the Jolly Roger a couple of ships down the dock. It was one of the bigger ships at port and the crew was busily loading supplies on board.

“Shall I have her quarter’s readied, Sir?” Smee asked.

“Nay, Mister Smee. I’ll take care of her. We must be off before she’s noticed to be missing. Depending on how she behaves herself will determine whether she goes to the brig or the cabin boy’s quarters.” He was speaking loudly enough so the princess would hear the warning. It wouldn’t be too bad if she had to spend a night or two in the brig. “And I do hope she behaves. T’would be a shame to dirty her fine dress.” His face was close enough to her hip that he rubbed his cheek along the material of the dress.

Now that they were at the gangplank of the Jolly Roger, Killian stepped onto it, hefting the princess aboard with him. Some of the nearest men stopped in their work to stare at the captain and the rump of the woman over his shoulder. “We depart in a quarter hour, men. Make haste, as we may have the entire kingdom after us soon.”

Cheers for adventure were cried out into the night and Killian turned toward the small stairwell that would lead below decks.

Zelena  
“Let me down,” Zelena demanded when she realized that screaming for help wouldn’t work. She also realized that she had accidentally supported herself on his arse, and was now changing tactics. Her fists were pounding on his back while she tried to thrash about. He held her legs tight so it was not working as she had hoped for.  
To fill the cup to the brim he smacked her one on her bum.  
“Ouch! How dare you!” She pounded on his back again, and was so angry that she leaned across his back to get at his other shoulder and bit as tight as she could into the leather coat, hoping he would still feel it.

Although Zelena did listen to what he was saying she was too indignant about the fact that he had simply kidnapped her. The only satisfaction she felt at the moment was that she actually wasn’t the princess and he had messed up.  
“I will behave when you behave, but you _kidnapped_ me, thinking I was…” she stopped right in time. She was about to say ‘thinking I was the Princess,’ but she suddenly realized that telling him he had kidnapped the _maid_ would be like a death sentence.  
She had to play the role, and she had to finish the sentence.  
“... an easy prey, but I’m _not_!” She shifted around on his shoulder, and tried to grab his sword.  
“Release me, and I may let you live. Do you have any idea what will happen if they find out I’m missing?”

Zelena’s heart pounded. Her only chance to get free was threatening him with terrible consequences if he wouldn’t let her go. The truth was - no one would come to search for her. Although she might be the best friend of the real Princess, but she wasn’t important and just a maid in the Princess’ dress.  
She had nothing to lose. As long as he thought she would be the Princess she was relatively safe, but once he would find out that the Princess was still at the castle, safe and sound he would kill her.

“My parents will send every single man, every knight, every stable boy, just _everyone_ to look for me. You said it yourself - the _entire kingdom!_ And they _will_ find me. You seem to be a reasonable pirate, let me go now and I promise you can sail off unharmed.”

If this wouldn’t work she was doomed.

Killian  
She was fighting against him and Killian had to watch his steps as they descended the stairs. He felt a pressure on his opposite shoulder but merely grinned. “That’s the good thing about leather, sweetheart. It’s very good against swan bites,” he said to her--the swan in reference to the emblem stitched on her dress, and the mascot of her kingdom. The sound of a few laughs of the witnessing crew echoed down the stairwell. It was all Killian could do to keep from falling as she lurched and struck at his back. But once there was enough space at the bottom, he couldn’t deal with the thrashing about any longer. Leaning forward, he ran his hand along her back so he could set her on her feet, but before she would be able to even catch her own balance, he stepped forward pressing her firmly against the wall to lessen her ability to strike at him again. His hand went to her throat, his fingers pushing her jaw upward so she would have to look at him.

Speaking very close to her face, his eyes watched hers with deadly seriousness. “Let me tell you how it works on my ship, Princess. Those men above deck are my crew. I’m a reasonable captain. They heed my orders as will you. But know that I am the one who is allowing _you_ to live. Cross me and that will change.” His eyes moved to take in how his hand was grasping her neck and though he was shamed by treating her as such, he knew if he wasn’t clear in the beginning, she would make everyone’s lives a living hell until such time that they would get rid of her.

The ship around them suddenly lurched and Killian grinned, this time speaking to her in a reproachful tone. “Instead of fighting me, you could have been saying goodbye to your beloved kingdom, Swan. After all, it’s the last time you’ll have seen it.” He raised his hook to lightly push back one of her ginger locks that had fallen from her updo. A little threatening reminder of the hook would suffice in making his threat more a reality.

Zelena  
Swan bites? Zelena didn’t get what he meant with swan bites, but she would understand later.  
At the moment she was still enraged when he carried her down the stairwell.  
She heard the crew laugh about it, and prepared herself to hit him right onto his nose when she felt that he would let her down eventually.  
He was not very gentle, and before Zelena could catch her balance she found herself pressed against the wall. No chance for her to strike him.  
Instead she felt his hand on her throat while his fingers forced her jaw up so she had to look at him.

He was very close, and Zelena glared as best as possible at him. She would surely _not_ cave in. Princess or maid - she possessed some pride.  
She had no other choice than to listen to him and his ridiculous talking about being a reasonable Captain. Pah!  
Zelena was burning to give him a piece of her own mind, but since he squeezed her neck slightly she couldn’t say anything yet.

Her situation changed drastically once she felt the ship leaving the harbor. It was also when he called her ‘Swan’. Zelena realized that he had either no idea about her name or he knew and wanted to test her. It was now more important than ever to play her role, although her life was forfeit this very moment. He had threatened to kill her anyway, so why not die in battle. She wouldn’t make this easy for him. Maybe she was foolish, but she knew she was on her own now and had nothing to lose.  
He now brought his hook up again, and Zelena watched him pushing a lock of her hair back with it.  
She tried to look scared, hoping he would release her.  
After a moment she felt his grip lessen around her neck although he didn’t let go. It was enough for her and while Zelena looked at him she managed to slide her foot to the side to show him her answer. She had barely enough space, but she kicked against his shin as hard as possible.

A hissing noise was the answer, and Zelena smiled in satisfaction.  
“Don’t call me Swan, pirate. I have a name. It’s Emma. Where are your manners?”  
She looked at him, trying to find out if she had passed his test - or if he still didn’t know who the Princess was at all.

Killian  
She struck out against his shin and declared her name to him. This caused Killian to grin at her as if she had just provoked him again with a fight despite the fact that he had just put the hook near her face, a clear threat. He could strike her for that, but he was a gentleman. Aside from the rump swat he’d given her earlier--and that was only because she’d done the same to him--he was not one to abuse a woman. To prevent her from further lashing out at him, he reapplied pressure to her neck to remind her that he was the one in control, but only long enough for his response. “I told you I can be reasonable. You want manners?” His eyebrow twitched as he spoke in a low, menacing tone. “How about your own quarters?”

He released her throat only to shift his hand to the back of her neck to push her along the corridor. If she refused to walk, he could carry her again, but the room she would be pushed into was the first they would encounter with two barred cells within. She was deposited onto the bench and the iron door slammed shut, locking her in. Killian stepped back to look at his prisoner, his caged swan. He’d managed to capture a member of royalty. That was a new first.

There was fire in this one’s eyes which matched with her fiery hair and temper. He was rather glad that she wasn’t a push over. Princesses had never appealed to Killian before as he expected they were all alike. The type that pranced, fainted at a drop of blood spilled, eyelash batting, and giggling damsels. That was not the sort Killian wanted anything to do with. But this one had spirit and he rather fancied that in anyone he encountered. “A shame you’ll be remaining in the brig, love. You could have been next to my own quarters had you minded _your_ manners.”

Zelena  
Kicking him had made her feel better, but that also had the effect that he squeezed her neck again. If she had just enough air to say that _this_ was surely not reasonable nor manners.  
When he mentioned getting her own quarters she was surprised although she suspected that there was a catch.  
This time he eventually released her throat, and Zelena rubbed it as it hurt.  
He didn’t leave her much time to recover but pushed her along the corridor.  
“Hey, this is not the way to treat a Princess. Didn’t you say something about manners?”  
She struggled again, intending to at least give him a hard time to make her move, but it seemed the next door already was the one they were heading for.

When he opened the door Zelena awaited the smallest cabin that would be on the ship, but instead he acted on his threats and roughly shoved her into one of two barred cells that were in here.  
The door was shut and locked before she could stand up. Zelena grabbed the bars, glaring at him.

  
“I would rather walk the plank instead of having a quarter next to you, pirate,” she hissed at him.  
She was indeed furious at him, but she had to admit even as kidnapper and pirate - he was charming and attractive. If her life wouldn’t be at stake she might have enjoyed flirting with him, but at the moment she was simply angry.

“You won’t get away with this,” she said with anger in her voice. “And whatever your plan is - you will fail! What the hell did you think by kidnapping me? Is it gold you want? There’s plenty more for you when you pirate merchant ships. My parents might be the King and the Queen, but even you should know that they take care of their subjects and spend most of it to make sure they have enough to eat and drink and a place where they can live.”  
Zelena rattled at the bars. “Let me out of here, now!” She demanded, and added, “I’m sure I can teach you some manners.”

Killian  
Killian leaned against the entryway in a relaxed manner as he continued to watch Swan use her volatile tongue to tell him what was on her mind. He winced with a shrug when she said he wouldn’t get away with this. “I think I already have, love.” To further prove his point, the ship rocked slightly side to side as it began to get into position for the sails to be unfurled.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to make you aware of my plans.” He grinned as he took a step closer to her just so she could see the seriousness in his eyes in the dimly lit area. “I arrived in Misthaven to seek out a fortune teller who could tell me how to end the misfortunes that have plagued my life and my crew. She mentioned you and the darkness you would impart on my soul. Never fear, there is a solution. Remove the princess from Misthaven and kill her.” Killian’s expression turned ominous as he spoke these words to the soon-to-be victim. It really was quite a shame.

“Your parents may be good to their subjects, love, but you have darkness surrounding you and somehow, it is foretold to ruin my life. Therefore, I’m hastening your fate to improve my own.” His fingers reached out to trace along hers as she gripped the bars. Perhaps some empathy for her situation was due. “Rather unfortunate because I might like to entertain your fancy to teach me some manners.” He winked in an effort to make light of this news though he felt the grip of blackness on his heart as he thought over what he would have to do. “Choosing between your life and my own, I choose me, Princess.”

Zelena  
She gave him an angry glare when he mentioned he already had gotten away. Unfortunately he was right, and Zelena had to think of something else. She thought so at least, but again the fate turned against her when he began to reveal his plans.  
In the beginning she sneered about him. Who believed in fortune teller anyway, only pirates would do and some superstitious folk. Although Zelena knew there was real magic in this world, she had never seen it. Fighting a dragon was not magical, but brave, and making coins appear out of the Princess’ eyes was just a trick.  
Zelena was quite skeptical when it came to magic and also fortune tellers.  
Her problem was that the pirate believed it, and to make things worse for her someone had brought her into this story about ending the misfortune of this pirate! Actually not her of course, but the Princess.

In fact, being kidnapped was not her biggest problem as it seemed. Zelena’s eyes widened in shock and fear when he revealed he was planning on killing her!  
Her mouth went dry within one second, and she suddenly felt her knees buckling. She tightened the grip around the bars to keep her upright, and her heart began to race.  
If he wouldn’t be convinced about it she might have laughed, especially when he continued to tell her ridiculous things like she would be surrounded by darkness.

When he touched her fingers she normally would have withdrew them, but she still needed to support herself.  
It was not before he admitted that he would always choose his own life when Zelena trusted her legs again to support her.  
Her mouth was still dry, but she wanted to tell this pirate that he was a bloody idiot.  
Why didn’t he kill her right in the garden? Why bringing her on his ship at all?  
Zelena didn’t want to die, but it seemed she would. She was alone with no one to come for her on a pirate ship and she had just been told that she would die anyway.

That bloody bastard of a pirate! He didn’t even know he had the wrong person. Zelena suddenly looked up when she realized something, and despite the death warrant he had imposed on her, she began to smile. It was more of a smirk and when she began to speak she knew she had to choose her words carefully.

“I see,” she began calmly, and let go of the bars to sit down on the bench. Almost relaxed she leaned back against the wall, and continued in a conversational tone.  
“Fortune tellers are of course a source of… truth. It’s just too bad their predictions are not always that simple to interpret.” She smiled at him.  
“You know, I myself am quite a good fortune teller, and I will give you a very precious information regarding your… misfortune… if you are interested in it.”  
While her heart pounded in her chest she tried to stay as calm as possible.  
“You might think I would lie to you, but look at me - you just told me that you are going to kill me. And I believe you do. Just why am I so calm then? That’s probably a question you’re about to ask. Would you be calm when you’re facing your own death?”  
Zelena smiled again and shook her head. “I wouldn’t. But as I said, I know something you don’t. And if you’re going to kill me, I assure you that your so called ‘misfortune’ will only get worse. You see Killian,” she decided to call him Killian to make it more personal, “if it comes to my life that someone threatens, I’m quite like you. I choose me, Captain.”  
She was curious about his reaction now.

Killian  
Emma had grown bolder in the brig, another sign that this princess was not a typical princess at all. It seemed she knew of this darkness he told her about. The fortune teller had been truthful. That meant Princess Emma was likely only attempting to buy herself more time. A brave lass she was to attempt this with him. “So it is true. You do plan to darken my soul.” His expression hardened as he took another step toward the bars, his eyes narrowing. “Then prepare yourself, Princess Emma. The length of time you have left in this world will be dependent upon you.” He smirked as his eyes took in the carefree position in which she sat so bravely. “And I’ll have you know, the Jolly Roger has no plank for you to walk. We’d simply… shove you overboard.” He hadn’t forgotten her reaction to his suggestion that she could have been in a better situation had it not been for her temper. In fact, he had an idea of just how to give her a sight of how successful he’d been in taking her from her kingdom and show her that he meant what he said. “See you soon, Swan.”

He turned and left the brig just to give her some time alone to stew over the severity of their mutual situation. As he walked down the corridor, his heart was racing as he wondered if killing her might just darken his soul as easily as if he let her live.

Zelena  
"I... what? Of course not," Zelena said when he accused her of planning on darken his soul.  
This wasn't going as Zelena had planned. Actually the pirate should have been interested in her information, and she would tell him once she was at safety.  
But instead she had just taken care of her time running out more quickly.  
She was back on her feet and grabbed the bars again.

"You can't just kill me, do you listen? You're making a mistake, and I'm the only one who can tell you why!"  
She rattled at the bars when Killian mentioned also that this ship didn't have a plank to walk off but they would simply shove her overboard.  
"Even you wouldn't let me drown, you can't be that cruel!" She spat at him.  
He didn't listen to her and with a "See you soon, Swan," he left.

The door slammed behind him, and Zelena was alone in a cell on a ship with her days numbered.  
“Bloody pirate!” She yelled after him, and kicked against the door of the cell. “And it’s _not_ Swan!”  
It didn’t help her to escape, but it helped to calm down for now, although she wished she had kicked _him_ instead of the door.

She dropped on the bench again, crossed her arms before her chest, and thought about what she could do.  
She couldn’t tell him that he had kidnapped the wrong Princess before she was at safety. But if she told him on board he would go back to kidnap the real Princess, and would kill Zelena anyway.  
She sat there with her head in her hands and shook it.  
She was doomed. He wouldn’t listen to her, and she had no idea how to make him listen to her without playing her last card too early.

After a while she sighed, and since it had been a long day and she didn’t know when or if the pirate would come back she decided to try and sleep a bit. Who knew, sometimes an idea would struck in her dreams. It wouldn’t be the first time.  
She curled up on the bench, draped the dress over her legs and closed her eyes.  
The moving of the ship rocked her to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Zelena  
Zelena had a dream. It was a dream she never had before, and it confused her even in her sleep.  
She was still in the cell, but her skin had a green shimmer. When the Captain returned and came close to the cell she thrusted her hand through the bars, right into his chest, and pulled out his heart. He winced, and all Zelena had to do was talk into the heart to make him do whatever she wanted. Then her vision vanished in green smoke and Zelena woke up.

Killian  
After a few hours of ensuring that the crew was performing their duties and after clearing his own head from the frustration of having an unruly princess aboard, Killian was ready to try again.

The moon was high in the sky and the waters were mostly still as he stepped down into the hold. His boot steps clacked noisily with each step as he neared the brig. With two knocks of the hook on the outside of the room, he would enter and begin to unlock the cell. It was clear that she had slept some. Perhaps some rest had done her disposition good. “Come along, love. It’s time.” He held out a hand for her to take, or not. He rather doubted after earlier that she would. Regardless, the gesture meant for her to come with him where he would lead her above deck.

Zelena  
She had slept maybe one or two hours. She was still thinking about the dream she had. It must have been magic, she was sure of it, but it didn’t make any sense. There was no fairy godmother who would come and rescue her or any other magical being. Especially not a green one.   
Although she had dreamed of herself, it was obvious that it wasn’t her who had ‘magically’ ripped out the heart of the Captain.   
Thinking about the heart… it was crazy to even think about it, but Zelena was sure deep inside she had a crush on this swashbuckling pirate. It was just too bad he was influenced by the silly idea that a fortune teller could ‘see’ his future.   
Zelena grinned when she thought that fighting with him had actually… aroused her. Until the point when he admitted he was indeed planning on killing her. 

Zelena sighed. She had also thought about what to do, and she saw only one option. It would either let her live or she would die. Well, more one chance of living, and two of dying.   
She sat on the bench, hugging her knees and looked through the tiny porthole outside her cage.  
The moon looked wonderful, and its view helped her not to panic.   
The sea was calm and Zelena thought how nice it would have been to watch at the moon and sea on deck - on a planned trip.

She heard a knocking, and frowned. Why did someone knock? She was a prisoner, sentenced to death, so why being polite?  
She watched the Captain enter, telling her it would be time.  
She almost wanted to rant at him reminding him that he had said that the length of time she has left in this world would be dependent upon her, but she didn’t.  
If she was going to die here and now she would neither wince, nor panic, nor scream nor show _any_ sign of fear.   
She stood up, and walked with her head raised out of the cell. The hand he offered was ignored, and she didn’t even look at him, although she would follow him.  
Maybe she could kick him overboard as well.

Killian  
She was continuing the brave act as she stood and exited the brig with him, ignoring his hand and not even looking at him. Killian smirked slightly in realizing she misunderstood him. But since she wouldn’t look at him, he wouldn’t speak to her again until they were above deck where a small table was set with two dishes and cutlery, as well as two cups of wine. A few of the crew remained on deck to tend to their duties in the crow’s nest or near the bow of the ship but the rest had retired for the night. 

“Will you dine with me, Princess?” He waited to ask until the table was in sight but still walked close enough to her to direct her to the table. She would be able to see now that there was no land in sight. Despite being a prisoner on a death sentence, he wouldn’t have her starving in the meantime. 

Zelena  
When Zelena stepped out on deck she awaited the crew standing there, waiting as no one would like to miss the ‘show’ when a supposed-to-be Princess would be thrown overboard.   
Instead only some figures were to be seen, and all of them were attending some kind of duty.  
Since Killian had blocked her sight she had no idea that he didn’t intend to kill her (yet).  
Instead he asked her to dine with him. Zelena forgot to hold her head raised up, and stared at him in disbelief. Only then she saw the small table ready laid.

Her first impulse was to decline and maybe punch him, but she knew she needed food and water to stay alive a bit longer, and while she scrutinized him she thought ‘why not’. However, she didn’t need to make him believe that with having dinner she would forget what he had done - and still intended to do. “I was wondering when you would offer me something to eat and drink. Obviously you forgot your manners again down in the brig.”

Her stomach gave away how hungry she was, but she stubbornly waited for him to help her with the chair. After all she was a princess. Well, a maid playing a princess. Maybe she shouldn’t overdo it. “Well… thanks, I guess,” she added, and for the first time gave him a tiny smile.   
When they sat she asked, “So, are you offering me my last meal?” It was only partly meant as a serious question. 

Killian  
Killian shook his head to correct her as he pulled the chair back for her since she was clearly waiting for him to do so. “No, lass. I would not dream of forcing you to eat in such unsanitary conditions.” He smirked when he heard her stomach protest and sat across from her, picking up a fork. “It’s a lovely evening and a princess should dine under the stars.” He gestured upward before smiling back at his temporary guest. “Don’t you agree?” He was provoking her to respond, but was certainly not going to wait for her to begin eating first since he was also quite hungry. 

After finishing his first bite, he shook his head. “Wrong again, love. Quite the contrary. It’s only your last meal if you force me to make it so. I did tell you that your fate is determined by your actions.”

Zelena  
She frowned when Killian suddenly showed perfect manners, and she also frowned about the whole situation.  
She watched him taking the fork and his suddenly charming words confused her.   
Her eyes followed the fork in his hand, and when he had finished his first bite, Zelena grabbed for her fork as well.   
“A princess who was kidnapped,” she corrected him. She shoved some of the food into her mouth and began to chew.   
“An invitation would have been nice. Instead you hauled me to your ship.”   
Zelena’s voice was calm and she shoved another bit of the food into her mouth.

She shook her head about his correction about the last meal, and when she had finished her second bite she said “You were quite clear about killing me, so what does it matter if this is my last meal or the next. You’re too stubborn to listen to me. I told you you’re making a mistake.”  
She tasted the wine, and found it quite strong. Since she hadn’t eaten much she decided to empty her plate first and then drink the wine.

“Aside from that, I don’t have anything to lose, have I? Dying now or in a week, what do I get out of it?”  
She narrowed her eyes to slits and gave Killian a reproachful look. 

Killian  
Killian slowed his own eating as he discreetly watched the princess eat. She couldn’t have been starving; her evening meal was only a few hours late. What sort of princess would eat as she was? He wondered. She said twice now that he’d made a mistake and perhaps he had. But it couldn’t be so. She continued referring to herself as the princess. Diverting his eyes from the distraction, he glanced down at his own plate and took a bite. 

What does she get out of the delay? He smirked as he glanced back up at her and gestured with his fork toward himself. “Why, isn’t it obvious? Time with a dashing captain.” She had a point in that he could just end her misery. “I’m not one to kill women and children. Not usually, anyway. Believe me, I take no pleasure from what must be done for the sake of my crew and myself.” He hesitated as he looked away, then said with an ominous tone, “This world will be short one princess soon enough. No need to rush, love.” He’d lost his appetite and set the fork down, instead favoring the wine. 

Zelena  
Zelena rolled her eyes when Killian suggested her ‘reward’ for staying alive a bit longer would be time with the dashing version of him.  
“Oh please, don’t flatter yourself,” she threw in before he came up with his ridiculous excuse why he had to kill her.  
Zelena leaned back and crossed her arms while she looked at him for some time.  
She could of course play along. It would stick in her craw but it maybe would be even fun to beat him at his own game.   
She smiled. She had to be careful by playing along.

With a sigh she grabbed for the wine again. “You know, maybe you’re right. Not that I want to die, but there are so many other Princesses. No one would miss me anyway except for my parents, of course. And sometimes I wish I wasn’t a Princess at all.”  
She put the goblet away, and continued eating.  
“I always have to follow protocol, I can never do what I want. I have to be nice, play along, talk with people I would rather prefer not to have around me, and even marry someone I don’t even like. Maybe dying wouldn’t be so bad after all.”  
Without lifting her head she looked at him, giving him a ‘I’m such a poor Princess’ look.  
“I am thinking now that maybe being kidnapped was the thing I was missing in my life. Well, not being kidnapped, but… going on an adventure. I always wanted to make a trip on a boat. Ship,” she quickly corrected herself as Killian narrowed his eyes slightly by hearing her saying ‘boat’.  
“Maybe I should be thankful that this happened. A last and only adventure before I’m going to die…”   
She beamed at him. “Sounds exciting! And after all, I found it very satisfying to kick someone for once. I wanted to do that for a long time. Can you imagine how annoying it is to listen to the heroic stories every Prince would tell you to impress you?” She emptied her wine, and asked “Is there some more of it?”

Killian  
Killian smirked as he sat and ate, listening to the princess describe the very details that bored him over royalty. How could anyone enjoy such things in life? Even when she called his ship a boat, and he narrowed his eyes at that, it was only half-hearted. “So, I’ve done you a favor in taking you away from such a dull life. Here, out on the seas, you don’t have to do any of those things. Especially not marry someone you don’t like. I don’t see how your parents could force you into such a thing. Your spirited nature demands you to flee from such a future. A pirate’s life is a greater adventure, I say.”

He chuckled despite her reminder that she had kicked him. “I’m happy to give you such a pleasure then. Let’s not have it become a repeat offense, love.” He winked and reached to refill her wine glass as she had asked so nicely. “And no, I think I’d stab a prince for drolling on about his heroics, personally.” He was grinning, enjoying her sudden bubbly attitude. Whether she was merely accepting her fate or if she was humoring him didn’t matter to Killian. In a way, he was doing the same with her. At the very least, they could eat in companionable agreement before she returned to the brig.

Zelena  
“You could say that,” Zelena replied when he mentioned doing her a favor by kidnapping her.  
“Maybe I would like it more if I knew I wouldn’t die soon. So, being free on seas is not actually what I am. I’m a prisoner in the castle, and a prisoner sentenced to death on this ship.” She shrugged her shoulders. “In that case - I’d prefer the castle to be honest.”  
She took another bite.  
“A Princess,” she continued between two bites, “has privileges and even more duties. I can’t only think of myself, I don’t have that luxury. I have to do a lot of things I don’t like, but it’s for the good of my people. Well, not anymore I guess.”

She gave Killian another smile, and grinned when she said “It depends, Captain. Give me another reason to kick you and I will. You said yourself - I have a spirited nature, and maybe I’d like to have some fun before my days are over.”  
She raised both eyebrows when he mentioned he would rather stab a Prince.   
“Believe me you wouldn’t if you would have been schooled in the same classical education I was. Even a wrong word could mean war.”  
Zelena finished her plate in silence and thanked him when he refilled her wine glass.

She would listen to him in case he would say something, and stood up when she had emptied the wine.   
“I guess the night is over for me now. Thank you… for the invitation. It was nice.”  
Without waiting for him in case he would stay or having his permission to leave, Zelena headed back to the door that would lead to the stairs to the brig.   
She felt a bit dizzy from the wine, as maid she wasn’t used to drink so much. Especially not such a strong one. She had to use her hand to support her, making sure she wouldn’t simply fall down the stairs.

Killian  
“There are other more enjoyable ways to express yourself in a physical nature besides kicking, love,” Killian said with a raised eyebrow when she suggested she might kick him again. A threat aimed at him, her captor. She was displaying how unafraid she was of the threat despite knowing it was a real threat. Speaking of threats, she countered his opinion on stabbing a prince blaming his lack of knowledge of provoking a prince on his education or lack thereof. He leaned forward slightly over the table, his eyes not leaving hers. “I’d welcome war with royalty if I had reason for it. I had at one point in time. At present, I don’t, seeing as I’ve outlived the ones I took issue with.” The royalty in question had sent the Jones brothers on an errand which caused Liam’s death. 

Before he knew it, she was getting up and heading back to the brig. A pity she wouldn’t stay and have a verbal quarreling of the tongues with him even longer, but there was no questioning that it was very late and she might have tired after her ordeal of being kidnapped. Slowly, Killian got up as well and followed the princess down the stairs. There was something about her ease around him now that caused him to distrust her if he had given her the cabin boy’s quarters. She might attempt to stab a crew member or himself in sleep, and why shouldn’t she as a prisoner? Therefore, he had a feeling it was wise to lock the cell door for everyone elses’ safety.

Zelena  
The wine would cause her a headache, and it also made her tired. His words were still in her head echoing that there were other, more enjoyable things she could do to him than kick him. If he knew! "Princesses are not even _thinking_ about showing such shameless behavior before they get married," she had answered. That went for Emma of course. A maid might have some "pleasure", but not Zelena. She was the personal servant and BFF of the Princess! She was as untouchable as the Princess. 

For now all she wanted was to sleep. The brig was surely not the place she preferred, but after only one hour dining and trying to play nice Zelena knew he wouldn't trust her yet. She was angry that she forgot to take the knife or fork along. She needed a weapon soon. Maybe tomorrow. 

Killian didn't hold her back and he locked the door behind her. With a sigh, she dropped on the bench, and curled herself up. "A blanket should at least be something that is included in the room service, don't you think? Unless you plan on letting me freeze to death that is." Zelena tried to stay awake, hoping he would bring her something that kept her warm, but the wine was now fully hitting her and she fell asleep almost immediately. 

Killian  
“As you wish, Princess,” he said as he made a bow at her. He could see the fatigue in her posture as she didn’t bother to sit, but curled up on her side on the bench. 

Killian frowned. This wasn’t the least bit pleasing to watch. Perhaps he should have just strangled her in the forest or let Smee bludgeon her to death and not even bothered to wine and dine her first. But the fortune teller had said he needed to remove her from the realm before doing as he wished with her. 

Leaving the brig, Killian went to his own quarters and lifted the lid to a blanket chest. It was filled with wool blankets of differing coarseness and quality depending on how finely woven the wool was. Opting for one of the softest, he pulled it from the chest and returned to the brig to find the princess had fallen asleep. As quietly as possible, he unlocked the door and stepped in so that he could drape the blanket over her. “Sleep well, Emma,” he said quietly, then turned and left. This time, he didn’t bother locking the door but simply pulled it shut.

He returned to his quarters and found that sleep evaded him, so he sat at his desk and busily studied several maps on various lands on an optimal location to drop her off.


	4. Chapter 4

Zelena  
When Zelena woke up it was still dark outside. There was a blanket covering her, and she remembered that she had asked about it. A tiny smile appeared on her lips. Maybe the pirate wasn’t such a bad character. She sat up and looked around in her cell, unsure where the best place would be to empty her bladder. Her only option would probably be a corner or call for someone to show her the lavatory. Although Zelena assumed that the men simply pissed over the ship’s rail into the water there must be a place where they… well, even men were in need of a lavatory.  
She would only pollute her cell if she had no other choice. So she would call for someone until she was heard.  
Zelena stood up, walked to the door, grabbed the bars, and wanted to shout when the door suddenly swung open. 

Dumbfounded she stared at the open door, and slowly walked out. She was expecting that this was a trap, but nothing happened.   
Her heart beat faster when she carefully opened the door that led to the corridor, and made her way to the deck.  
It must be very early in the morning, because it was not pitch black anymore, and she saw the guard had fallen asleep.  
Zelena grinned. Maybe she could use this to her advantage. She could not escape from the ship, but maybe she could find something helpful. A knife, or some kind of weapon at least.  
Since her shoes made some noises, and her dress was too fluffy and hindering she simply took it off so she was on her bare feet, only wearing her underdress.   
The lavatory had to wait, as this was her chance to sneak around. She opened another door that led into the ship and grinned when she realized after a few meters that she had just found the Captain’s quarters. 

He was surely sleeping, and Zelena opened the door ajar and looked into the cabin. It was dark, and she thought that she could see someone lying under the sheets in a bed in the next room with the door open.   
Zelena grinned wickedly, and since she didn’t have anything to lose she sneaked into the Captain’s cabin. On the other side was another open door and in a very faint light (probably from the moon) she could see a part of a desk.   
She would rummage around there later she decided. Right in front of her, under the large window she could see a trunk with the sword and _his_ leather jacket on it.   
Zelena sneaked to the trunk and took the sword. It was (of course) too noticeable, but it was a weapon for now, and she began to rummage around in the cabin, hoping to find a knife she could hide.

Killian  
There was a creak from a door, almost imperceptible, but the Captain knew his ship like the back of his hand. Instantly on alert, Killian reached out to lower the flame on his desk lamp as he waited and listened. 

He couldn’t exactly be disappointed as the princess snuck into his quarters. She had found his sword and was carrying it now. Almost amused, a smirk spread across his face as he slowly stood from his chair and stepped away from the desk. She was rifling through his trunk now so he could only assume she needed a change of clothing. 

Leaning against one of the bracers against the ship’s hull with his arms crossed over his chest, he tilted his head as he watched her. This position put him between her and the door in case she decided to flee. “Just what exactly do you think you’re doing?” he asked, not at all bothered that she was holding his sword. If she thought she could use it against him, she would have a rude awakening.

Zelena  
There was nothing more in the trunk than his clothes, and Zelena was about to turn around, intending to rummage around in that desk now.  
A voice behind her made her jump, and she lifted the sword, ready to defend herself.   
Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Killian standing there. In a relaxed way he was leaning somewhere, his arms crossed over his chest and his head tilted in a way that would let Zelena melt if they had met under different circumstances. Bloody sexy!  
She swallowed, and tried to think of what to do now. She didn’t plan on being caught, especially not by _him_, but maybe she could take this to her advantage.   
After all she had the sword while he had… only his charm. A dangerous weapon as well, she had to admit to herself, but she wouldn’t fall for it. She did not forget that he intended to kill her!

“Trying to find a way to knock some sense into you,” she answered his question what she was doing here. “No, don’t move!”   
She looked around, and saw a piece of rope lying on a board. She made a few steps towards it, grabbed it, and threw it over to him.  
“Tie your feet together, and do it properly.” To make it more believable to him that she wasn’t joking she (carefully) poked the tip of the sword into his side. Maybe he would have a little scratch, but Zelena didn’t care and it gave her a feeling how to handle a sword. Couldn’t be that difficult, the pointy end goes in his chest, she thought.

While Killian caught the rope she was thinking. With his feet tied together it would be easy to promote him from ‘Captain’ to ‘Captain Floor’. After that she could simply knock him out and then… well, that was about to be seen.  
“Hurry up a bit,” she reminded him, and was about to poke him again when he was still hesitating.

Killian  
When the princess neared him with the sword, he wondered what her intent was. To maim him or just threaten, and as she also threw a rope at him, he caught it. She poked him in the side and that was intent enough for him to act. He lowered the hook, showing her how he used steel and slid the curved end along the sharpened edge of the sword as he walked toward her, simultaneously shifting the blade aside. A spark was made between the steel weapons. 

“Perhaps it is you who needs sense knocked into her.” While he was in her face he had been backing her to the other wall so that she would have nowhere else to go. “So you can make a decision now. I tie you up and throw you back into the brig— locked this time since you cannot be trusted—or I show you how this sword is used. Properly or not.” 

Zelena  
Shouldn’t a sword be enough to keep a pirate in check, Zelena thought when she realized that she had underestimated the pirate again. Or more - his hook. If he would have two hands it might have worked, but that bloody hook...  
Zelena saw her sword being moved to the side in an angle that was impossible for her to lift it again, and all she could do was glare at him.  
His face was all she could see as he was so close, and suddenly she felt the wall in her back. She was trapped. 

He gave her two options, and the second one was surely not meant as the more pleasant one. But being tied up in a locked cell didn’t sound very promising either.  
Still, she wouldn’t simply give up and said, “Oh, I always wanted to learn how to use a sword, so I’ll take the second option where you will give me sword fighting lessons.”  
His face was so damn close, and his eyes were sparkling in anger; so were hers. Before Zelena even thought about it, she simply kissed him.

Killian  
“Ah,” Killian grinned as he dropped the rope at their feet. “I never said sword _fighting_ lessons.”

She did something completely surprising and kissed him. His eyes shot wide but his hand moved to her upper arm as he kissed her back and pressed her against the wall. So she wanted to express herself in a physical manner with him? That was satisfying but not satisfying enough. She needed a lesson on who was the Captain on this ship. Barging into his quarters and threatening him, ordering him about was not something he would forget. 

Quickly, he broke the kiss and grabbed her arm to turn her around so that she faced the trunk she had been digging in just moments before and shoved her down onto it, his knee in her back to keep her from struggling against him. The sword was snatched from her hand next and her skirt was pulled up to expose what was under the skirt. Briefly, he wondered if the princess wore bloomers or if she preferred to go bare assed as some women did with too many layers of skirts hindering their attempts at using the necessary. 

“Since you chose option two, swords it is.” He took the flat end of the sword and brought it down smartly on her ass in a quick whap and then a second. “A lesson on who is in charge on this ship is due.”

Zelena  
The kiss was not really intended, but Zelena hoped it might work as a distraction. Unfortunately she didn’t get her hands or a foot free to fight him off, and Killian seemed to smell a rat.   
Zelena was almost angry when he broke the kiss quickly, as she had indeed _liked_ to kiss him. But she didn’t have time to think about that pleasant feeling.  
Before she could even realize what happened she found herself prone over the trunk, the sword was snatched out of her hand, and he dared to pull up her underdress!

“No! Let me go!” she hissed and tried to struggle, but he used his knee to press her down, and Zelena felt her cheeks blush in anger and embarrassment. He would stare at her bare ass by now.   
His announcement that she had chosen option 2 didn’t prepare her for what he was going to do.  
Zelena felt a sharp and burning pain when he used the flat side of the blade to whap her ass!  
The first time she let out a scream of pain, but she wouldn’t do that again.   
When he hit her a second time she only winced, but bit her lip and suppressed another cry of pain.

With whapping her twice he seemed to be finished, but Zelena wasn’t. However, she kept her temper for the moment. Her ass seemed to be on fire, and she groaned. 

Killian  
The first scream she emitted was satisfying and Killian may have gotten a slight rise out of it. The crew would have heard that but he didn’t care. They knew better than to come investigate. The second time, she didn’t scream. A brave lass, indeed. 

He threw her skirt back down to conceal her red-marked ass and stabbed the sword into the wood planks at his feet, then grabbed her arm to jerk her upright and shoved her back down in a sitting position on the trunk despite the potential for a sore ass. He’d been struck with a sword countless times so he knew it would sting. 

“Don’t think for one moment I don’t know where you are, Princess,” he told her with quiet malice. “This is my ship and you’re my prisoner. I keep an eye on _my things.”_ She had provoked an ire in his expression and he was sorely tempted to throw her back in the brig despite allowing her to choose her punishment. Since he’d already dealt the punishment, he wasn’t going to go back on his word about locking her up again. 

Taking a step back from her, he pulled the sword from the floor so that she couldn’t get any fast ideas about using it on him again and gestured at the rope on the floor. “Pick that up. We’ve a late hour and I intend to sleep.” Once she would pick it up, Killian would back away from her to fetch his sword belt and sheathe the blade so that his hand would be free to tie her up. 

Zelena  
Her eyes were watering but she didn’t have much time to recover. She could feel the coarse cloth scrubbing over the marks Killian had left on her, but it was nothing against the stinging pain he caused her when he pulled her up and made her sit on the trunk. Tears she couldn’t prevent shot into Zelena’s eyes, as her body simply reacted to her sore buttocks.   
She could hold back a cry, but not a hissing noise while she raised her head and looked defiantly at him.

His speech was direct, and arrogant. And it only made Zelena more reluctant.  
“I’m no one’s property,” she spat at him when he counted her to ‘his things’. “And you would have done the same if the tables were turned. So don’t think you impress me much, _Captain_.”  
His order to pick up the rope was carried out fast by Zelena, although she not only picked it up, but threw it at him.

Assuming he would take her back to the brig Zelena stood up and was tempted to throw something else at him, unfortunately there was nothing she could use. The trunk would definitely be a good choice, but it was too large. Her ass burned like hell, and she was quite furious. However, this pirate gave her a hard time but frankly - Zelena liked it somehow. He was no one anyone could simply command around, and Zelena was used to it as no one dared to disobey the princess’ orders. Yet she was furious.

Killian  
So that was how she was going to play it? Throwing the bloody rope at him? Had she learned nothing from getting spanked by the sword? Fine. 

Killian threw the scabbard onto his desk making a loud clattering noise, but he didn’t bother looking to see what may have fallen. Without taking his eyes off the princess, he scooped the rope up and lunged at her intent on tying her up himself since she wasn’t going to cooperate. There was fire in his eyes as he glared at her. Through gritted teeth he said, “And I thought princesses were taught to mind orders and behave themselves. I’m beginning to think I’ve kidnapped the wrong woman!” 

Zelena  
Zelena didn’t flinch when his thrown scabbard hit a compass and the sextant and everything landed with a loud noise on the ground. Like Killian stared at her she stared back. She could see the rage in his eyes too, and then he lunged out for her.   
Zelena ducked away, careful to stay on the other side of his hook, and managed to land a kick against his shin. It was a lucky hit and nothing that would hurt him or even take him off balance, but it felt good.

While she tried to keep some distance between them she looked around for something she could use as a weapon.  
Since nothing else was in range she grabbed for a small lantern that stood on the window sill.  
“Princesses can do more than obey, behave, talk and look nice,” she answered while she aimed at his shoulder. “Not the princess you awaited to kidnap then? Bad luck, pirate.”  
She swung the lantern now. “Princesses are also taught to defend themselves!”

Killian  
Killian jerked his shoulder back as she swung the lantern. He’d gotten lucky to miss that unlike when she kicked his leg again. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he shouted in disbelief. “That’s full of oil. You’ll catch the whole bloody ship on fire!” 

While he was glad he wasn’t being plagued by a proper princess--how dull would that have been?--he was more than bothered by this one who attacked him and snuck around to loot his quarters. “Deceitful wench! I’ve encountered my share of royalty and none acted as you do.” He reached out and hooked the handle from her grasp to set it down by the desk, hopefully out of the way before standing upright to deal with this supposed imposter.

Zelena  
He was right. Some oil swapped out of the lantern and for a moment Zelena thought about apologizing. But she didn’t. However, this moment of hesitation gave Killian the opportunity to take the lantern away. Zelena narrowed her eyes, and shouted back.   
“Why not burn the whole ship with everyone on board? Why should you have a fate better than me!”  
Deprived of her weapon by the pirate (again), Zelena saw no other way than to fight with her bare hands. 

In hopes that she could surprise him with her attack, Zelena clinged to his arm (the one without the hook), tried to grab the rope and kicked her foot against his shin again.  
“Seems the royalties you met were boring like hell,” Zelena said between gritted teeth.   
She tried very hard to wrestle the pirate down, but aside from the fact that her buttocks still hurt she didn’t have a chance against the pirate.   
Not that this was a reason to give up of course. 

Killian  
She kicked him once again, and Killian had had enough. “Would you kindly stop kicking me?” he said more than testily as she wrestled his arm. Since he didn’t exactly want to hit her with the hook, he tightened his grip by pulling her back to his front and kicked her feet out from under her so that she would go down fast if he wasn’t holding her against him by the throat.

Somewhat breathing heavily from the fight, Killian grinned as he spoke by her ear now as he struggled to get her to the desk. “You’re correct about that, _Emma,”_ he said. “Boring as hell, but I didn’t have to tolerate any as vexing as you.” He pushed her face down on the desk now, noting that her cheek was now pressed against the sword scabbard atop the desk and grinned as he attempted to get her arms behind her to tie her up. 

Zelena  
“I stop kicking when you teach me how to sword fight,” Zelena still gritted her teeth in effort. She wasn’t used to fight anyone, and suddenly he pulled her close to his front, and Zelena lost firm ground under her feet when he kicked them away. Gasping for breath she now tried to loosen his grip around her throat while he more or less dragged her toward the desk.  
She couldn’t reply to his words; let alone breathing was difficult.

With the lack of oxygen Zelena became weaker and she had to focus on getting enough air in her lungs again when he pinned her down on the table and tied her hands behind her back.  
Zelena tried to struggle, but it was too late. To make things worse, he somehow had managed to make the rope pull itself even tighter the more Zelena tried to struggle.   
“Ouch, it’s too tight,” she complained. 

Killian  
Finally, he’s managed to get the wild woman restrained and KIllian stepped back to survey his work. He couldn’t help but grin as she complained of the tightness of the rope. “New rope, love. Apologies.” Though he wasn’t the least bit sorry for it. “Now, as I said, I intend to sleep, so if you know what’s good for you, you’ll shut your mouth or I’ll gag you.” 

Grabbing her by the middle, because he expected further fits from this redheaded pain in his arse, he carried her toward the bed and dropped her face down onto the mattress. “Tempt me if you like, _Princess,”_ he said with emphasis because the more he thought on it, the less likely she was who she claimed to be. Why hadn’t they been pursued yet? “But I promise you I’ll get more enjoyment out of seeing you struggle further against those ropes than you will. Sleep well…” He drew the blanket up and over her to keep her from kicking him again and laid on top of the blanket next to her, a pleased expression on his face.

Zelena  
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”   
Zelena made herself as heavy as possible to make it difficult for him to carry her the way he did, but that pirate was stronger than he looked.   
He dropped her face down onto the mattress and dared to lie down beside her!  
“I’m used to sleep alone in a bed,” Zelena teased. She did not overhear the way he enunciated the word ‘princess’. Well, he would find out sooner or later anyway. 

Zelena had to put her face either to the left or right so she could breathe. It was uncomfortable and embarrassing. And with the blanket over her she couldn’t even move. But she had to. She had to get up and get rid of the rope.   
On one hand she was tempted to annoy the pirate, but that would probably cause her some more trouble. If she had learned one thing about him then that he acted on his threats. On the other hand she wanted to annoy him. Why should he be able to sleep?  
For now she kept still, and tried to loosen the rope without struggling. It didn’t work.


	5. Chapter 5

Zelena  
About half an hour passed when Zelena got bored. “Hey, Captain, I have a necessity.” This wasn’t even a lie. Zelena had actually left the cell in the first place to empty her bladder.  
To make sure he would wake up in case he was asleep she shoved herself as best as possible closer to him and bit into his shoulder. Not tight, just enough so he would react.

Killian  
“It’s my bed, love, and since you were so insistent upon intruding, you’ll stay and be quiet.” That was the end of the discussion as far as Killian was concerned as he closed his eyes.

For the most part, she was quiet enough. While he didn’t exactly fall deep into sleep, he was just beginning to relax enough to slip into oblivion. There were words spoken at his side but he didn’t register the meaning until a pressure at his shoulder woke him enough to swat out at the rump to his side, his hand settling there in comfort with a light squeeze. To him, it may as well have been some other bed partner from the past. The only other response she would get was a mumble of agreement and then his breathing returned to that of a sleeping pirate.

Zelena  
Zelena gasped when she suddenly felt his hand on a place he had absolutely no right to touch!  
She snorted angrily, especially because he didn’t wake up, and began to move and struggle under the blanket. Eventually she managed to turn onto her side and had enough space to bent her knees.   
She aimed at his hip, and since he laid in a position where Zelena could stretch out her legs once he was out of her way, she managed to shove him out of his bed. 

“Are you awake now?” She asked and grinned. “I said I have a necessity.”

Killian  
With all the struggling under his hand and at his side, Killian began to wake up in sudden fear that the ship was rocking violently. His eyes flew open just in time to be kicked hard in the side. Thus violently propelled out of his bed, he struck the hard floor. 

He heard Emma’s words then and his eyes flared in anger. Pushing himself up into sitting with one knee bent, he glared at her as she grinned at him. “You…” he started, pointing at her irritably, “have bruised me up and down. I ought to return the courtesy.” But if she needed the damned necessary, he couldn’t have her soiling his bed. He scratched at his eyebrow and dropped his forearm upon his upturned knee, as he had woken too suddenly, and sighed as he stood up. At least the ship hadn’t hit turbulent waters as he’d originally thought. No, the princess was enough of a tempest to deal with. He couldn’t exactly sit her ass on the railing without being sorely tempted in shoving her overboard and being done with her once and for all. He’d have to give her privacy in the necessary closet. 

“Come along then,” he said as he helped her stand from the bed so she could walk herself there.

The closet was outside his own quarters and they would have to pass by the crew’s quarters to get there. The sounds of several snoring men wafted into the corridor. Killian wished he was one of them at the moment, he was so bloody tired. He pulled the door open to reveal a small space with a bench seat and a hole in the center. The sound of moving water from the ocean was only about 10 feet below. He waved with a grand gesture for her to enter. “Your throne awaits, Highness,” he said with sarcasm.

Zelena  
Once he appeared again, Zelena looked at him innocently. He was clearly angry, but Zelena could also see that he held himself back. After all, it wasn’t her fault. He could have asked her to use the lavatory before.  
“Next time you should offer me to go there before you tie me up and throw me onto your bed.”  
Zelena watched him scratching his eyebrow, and thought in general he looked quite sexy when he wasn’t fully awake.

He freed her from the blanket and helped her to get up. She followed him through the corridor and stopped outside the necessary closet when she saw the bench inside. She turned her back to him and bent a bit forward. “Will you untie me or how do you suppose I should lift my skirt and clean myself?”

Killian  
Sighing heavily, Killian knew she was right enough. Without saying a word and wasting breath, he pulled the end of the rope that would release the knot in one tug. Looping the constriction around her head, he pulled the rope away and stepped back, slamming the door shut. 

Why the devil had he listened to that fortune teller? She may as well have just given him more trouble than it was worth. He rubbed the back of his wrist across his forehead as he waited. The sounds of the snores from the crew quarters were far too tantalizing. Killian shook his head and walked away from the necessary closet and into the galley for a cup of rum. Not a shot, but a full cup. It was good enough a sleep aid to knock two people out for a while. So he finished the glass while he waited in the corridor for the princess to finish her business. 

Zelena  
When he untied her Zelena felt a stinging pain in her arms and hands. Very slowly she tried to bring her arms into a normal position again, and massaged her wrists.   
Since she had made a step forward she was standing in the small room now, and the door was slammed shut behind her. 

Relieved that she finally could empty her bladder Zelena made sure that her skirt was properly out of the way and sighed in relief.  
She used the time to think about what to do next. She had the feeling the pirate was suspecting something so she had to get off the ship as soon as possible. But not in the open sea. Her options were basically not existent, so all she could do was either try to play nice or give him a hard time. 

She smiled when she thought of him landing on the floor, and hoped she could do that again. Anyway, she had to get up again, as the room was ice cold. So she cleaned herself up, and opened the door again. 

The pirate was waiting in the corridor, a glass of rum in his hands. Zelena saw how tired he looked, he would probably sleep like a stone. She smiled.   
"I am ready, Captain Floor,” she teased him, and held her hands out so he could tie her up again. If she was lucky he was too tired to realize that she held her hands in front of her.

Killian  
Killian gave an unamused, raised eyebrow at the princess at her moniker for him. Whatever. She was done in the loo and if he was lucky, he’d get a few hours of sleep. Perhaps he should simply bash her over the head and be sure she bloody slept too, but no. Unnecessary violence wasn’t his style. Though, if she kept him from sleeping, he might have a change of heart. 

Keeping his eyes mostly on hers to gauge her reactions before she could potentially bruise him again, he slowly wrapped the rope around her wrists, leaving a long lead in his hand. “Walk,” he told her with a head jerk toward his quarters. 

Once there, he pulled the blanket back again and would wait for her to get back in and lay down. “If you kick me again, I’ll tie you to the mast. I don’t bloody care who sees you there. I intend to sleep.” He draped the remainder of the rope across his side of the bed and layed down over it so that if she attempted to flee the bed, he’d feel it despite drinking the rum to knock himself out. “Anymore _necessities_ before we say goodnight, _love?”_ The sarcasm was dripping, but he didn’t care.

Zelena  
Having her hands tied in front of her was much better than on her back. Maybe she could free herself once he was asleep again.  
For now Zelena peacefully walked back to his quarters, and crawled back into his bed.  
Much to her chagrin he made it clear that kicking him out of the bed would end in being tied to the mast. Zelena was hot-heated, but no idiot. She would freeze to death outside. So she better obey this time. However, he didn’t say anything about anything else.   
She felt the rope pulling her hands slightly toward him when he pulled the loose end to his side and laid down on it.   
Perfect. After the rum he had he would sleep like a stone. Shouldn’t be that difficult to pull it out under him.

“Not at the moment,” Zelena answered his question about anymore ‘necessities’ whereby she simply ignored his sarcasm. “Maybe later. I’ll let you know.”  
She grinned at him, and tried awkwardly to find a position that was comfortable for her. She ended up placing her head onto his shoulder as she liked sleeping on a neckroll. The pillow she had here was too soft.

“Uuuuuaaaaaaahhhhhh,” she yawned loudly, and rolled over to her side, letting her tied hands drop onto Kilian’s stomach. Her leg was draped over his right leg. For a body pillow he was not even that bad.   
“I hope you don’t snore,” Zelena said.

Killian  
She had better not let him know later, he thought as he narrowed his eyes at her again in warning. But it was enough of an agreement that she would behave herself so he closed his eyes. He was a bit bothered that she set her head on his shoulder, but he ignored her as he shifted his forearm and hand over his stomach. Only a moment later she was near to howling in his ear with an obnoxious yawn, but he attempted to ignore her further as he knew she was trying to bother him. She went as far as to partially lay on him and his heart rate kicked up a notch at the intimate closeness. This was not what he expected from someone he’d threatened and tied up. She was prohibiting his right arm from moving as well, but he’d be damned if he’d hold her.

“I don’t give a damn if you do snore just so long as you go to sleep. Frustrating woman,” he muttered before eventually falling to sleep in a rum- and warmth-induced slumber.

Zelena  
“Stubborn pirate,” she only said, but kept still.   
After some time she carefully rolled onto her back again and pulled a bit on the rope for once to see if he would notice her attempt, for the second to be able to place her hands on her belly without having them pulled to the left.

In case he noticed he didn’t do anything, or he had already fallen asleep and didn’t notice. However, Zelena waited. 

He was indeed snoring slightly, but that told Zelena that he was (hopefully) really asleep now.   
It was time to do something. Her only problem was that she had become very tired too.  
Closing her eyes for just a few minutes didn’t seem to be too bad. Just briefly and then free herself, take the sword and… do whatever. By thinking of the last part Zelena already drifted to sleep. 

She woke up again an hour later, not because she was awake but because she couldn’t move her hands. She was still bloody tired, but whatever held her hands together was bothering her. She remembered that Killian had tied her up, but she also remembered that he only had jerked once at the rope to untie her.   
So she forced herself to open her eyes, and used the spare light of the moon to look at the binding. Well hidden, and probably only visible now because she had moved her hands while sleeping, she could see the other end of the rope. She actually did not reckon it would work, but maybe she could trace it down and see where the knot was. She took the end between her teeth and pulled carefully. To her surprise she felt her hands easing, and after a bit of struggling the rope fell off of her hands. 

For a moment she thought about leaving the cabin or rummage around his quarters, but for what actually? She couldn’t escape from the ship, and she doubted she could take the Captain hostage. Not when she was alone. She yawned again, and decided to do something completely different. Why bother about something she couldn’t change, instead she could simply have a good night sleep.   
She had actually liked being so close to him, so she rolled back to his side, draped one arm and leg over him and pulled the blanket up to her head. Then she went back to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Killian  
The captain woke to a brief poke to his left shoulder. He cracked an eye open to see light streaming in through the windows and Smee hovering with a concerned look in his eyes. Killian opened his other eye, frowning at his first mate, only to follow Smee’s gaze to his other side. Red hair was showing with a blanket concealing the princess’s face.

_Oh bloody hell,_ Killian thought as he shut his eyes for a moment. He could feel that she was still draped over him under the blanket, including one leg. Killian turned his head on the pillow to eyeball the door which Smee understood to get lost for a while.

After Smee shut the door, Killian looked at the windows again to gauge the time. He’d overslept. No wonder Smee had come to check on him. At some point in the night, he’d even raised his right arm to wrap around his captive. So he’d held her in the night anyway. After pushing back the blanket, the sight of Emma cuddled against him without being tied brought shock to him as he realized she managed to free herself from the rope… but had stayed.

Killian raised his head to get a better look at her face. Asleep. Now what? She wasn’t annoying him, but perplexing him. When had this royal pain in the arse become compliant? Only in sleep? Time would tell. But for now, it was he who needed the loo and then to get to his duties above deck.

Very carefully, he slid out from beneath her in an attempt at not disturbing her. Before leaving the room, he grabbed his sword belt from the desk and his coat from the floor where she must have discarded it the night before in her attempt at looting him. He cast one more look toward the bed before slipping out and shutting the door.

Zelena  
Her physical excess the evening before and the fact that she was in lack of sleep anyway made her only grumble a bit in her sleep when Killian stood up and left her alone.  
She didn’t wake up for another two hours.  
There were noises that dragged her into the waking world, and Zelena grumbled again before she opened her eyes slowly.  
She was alone in the bed and free to move her hands and legs.  
Zelena yawned again, stretched her body and got into a sitting position. She swung her legs over the edge and hesitated. She couldn’t get out, could she? She was still only wearing her underdress, and she wasn’t sure if it could cover her properly in the bright sunlight. And the sun was bright today. She also had no shoes…

Her eyes wandered to Killian’s trunk. She knew she had seen some clothing inside at night. Maybe she could ‘borrow’ something.  
She went over, opened it, and eventually managed to find some pants and a shirt she took on. The rope that was still lying in the bed helped to hold the pants in place, only the boots were too large. Zelena decided to wear a second and third pair of socks instead, and once she felt courageous enough to leave, she opened the door.

Her hair flew in the wind when she stepped on deck, and despite the sun shining down on her she was freezing.  
Her stomach reminded her that her last meal was some hours ago, and she needed to find that loo again too.  
But before she wanted to find the Captain.  
“Hey, where’s the Captain,” she simply addressed one of the pirates who was passing her, but she didn’t get an answer.  
“Fine, then I’ll find him myself.”

Killian  
The captain was busy at the wheel steering the ship in a specific location when he noticed the red hair blowing in the breeze down below. She was clearly looking for someone, perhaps himself he thought, but he stayed put, only watching for now.

He was not pleased that he’d managed to hold her in the night nor that she had lain upon him, despite the warm feeling it had provided. It wouldn’t suit to become affectionate with someone he’d have to do away with. This was why he and the crew were hastening to their destination.

A few of the crew members passed by the princess without speaking to her and only a slight smirk crossed his face, though why he was feeling vindictive for her getting under his skin, he wasn’t sure. He enjoyed teaching her a lesson from attempting to steal his sword. But she hadn’t tried to escape while he was asleep. Perhaps he should reward her.

“Princess,” Killian called out, and waved at her to approach.

Zelena  
She turned around when she heard his voice, calling her, and tilted her head. It was difficult to tell what kind of mood he was in after that night. Zelena took it as a good sign that he hadn’t tied her up again, but left her in peace. He even let her sleep.  
She made her way up to the deck where he was and placed her hands on her hips.  
Actually, she was about to ask why he hadn’t ‘secured’ her, then she dismissed that because her stomach was growling and the question for breakfast seemed more interesting, but she dismissed that question as well because she needed to visit the loo. Three possible questions, but instead she said “Do you have a belt? The rope is quite uncomfortable.”  
She paused a moment, and let her hands sink again. “And smaller shoes than yours maybe? It’s quite cold, even with three pairs of socks. And if you would kindly lead me to the room again you showed me last night…”

Zelena sighed. She should have taken a sword and force him to take her home, but she somehow had given up on that plan. Maybe she should try to be nice and talk him out of killing her. She still had to tell him that he indeed kidnapped the wrong person.  
“And if you can find me something to eat, I'd be very thankful.”

Killian  
Killian’s eyebrow rose when he heard her stomach complain, and he looked at her waist at the rope secured around her waist. She was wearing his clothes and he smirked. Apparently, she hadn’t done a thorough job in searching his cabin and he was glad.

“Aye, I suppose I could assist you in that.” Killian motioned for the bosun to come and take his place so he could lead the princess below deck.

Once below deck, he showed her where to find the loo and then once back in the cabin, he showed her the armoire that housed Milah’s clothes that he couldn’t bear to part with. The two women were of a similar height, after all. “Take whatever you fancy. There are shoes and slippers... if they happen to fit...” he added dubiously. His fingers traced on one of the black blouses with a trace of memory in mind before releasing it and looking to the princess.  
“I’ve asked the cook to save something for you since you managed to behave yourself and allowed me to sleep.” Killian winked before heading to the door so she could dress in privacy. “It will be on deck when you’re ready.”

Zelena  
She was indeed surprised that he was being nice. When they were back in his cabin she asked “Do you still intend to kill me because of a fortune teller’s vision?”  
She had waited behind him while he opened an armoire that - Zelena’s eyes widened in surprise - contained some dresses and women’s clothes.

She felt there was something special with those clothes, he confirmed it when he traced along on one of the blouses, like he wanted to caress the person who had worn it. And suddenly it came to her. The owner of those clothes was not on board. Did he break up with her? He must love her, or he wouldn’t handle the blouse so… caringly. There was also something sad in his look.

Zelena didn’t ask yet, and nodded when Killian hinted that there were shoes too.  
When he said she would get something to eat because she behaved, she almost had given a sharp answer. What did he await from her, that she peacefully waited in her cell, smiling until he would finally kill her?  
Zelena clenched her fists. It was hard to keep her temper, and she felt anger rising. So she had to behave like a dog would to get some treats?  
She was glad when he eventually left, and for a moment she was tempted to throw something around. It was hardly her fault that he had kidnapped her!

Snorting in anger she began to inspect the skirts and blouses, and decided to wear the black one he had traced along before. It was actually the finest blouse amongst all, the material like chiffon, the black long sleeves wide and airy.  
Zelena got rid of Killian’s stuff, and thought the blouse felt quite comfortable on her skin.  
Of course she needed more. She couldn’t wear her underdress anymore, so she used a bodice with a low-cut neckline that could barely cover her breasts. But it was the best she could find.  
An underskirt, a long skirt and a broad hip girdle along with a pair of boots completed her appearance.

She just needed help for lacing her bodice. With a sigh, she realized there was no one except the Captain she could ask.  
Her anger had subsided, but she still thought it rude of him to act like he did.  
With her bodice only loosely laced she went back on deck, and looked for Killian.

He was back at the wheel again, and for the second time Zelena climbed the few steps up to him.  
“I need someone to lace up my bodice. Please.” The ‘please’ wasn’t easy to say, but at least she had said it. She turned so he could see her back and the lace dangling.  
At least he would have to ‘tie her up’ only now, once he was finished Zelena could adjust the bodice by using the front laces.

“I didn’t think you have women’s clothes.” Zelena was curious and thought she could ask while waiting. “I don’t think you would store them for your countless wenches, they look far too piratish and precious.”  
Since Zelena assumed there was a woman at his side, just not on board she asked “It must be from your spouse or companion. Where is she? Why is she not on board?”  
She held her hair on her side so the wind couldn’t blow it constantly over her shoulder.

Killian  
If it wasn’t for her red hair, Killian would have thought he was dreaming at seeing Milah approach him again. The century of time that had passed was but a blink of an eye. His facial expression had relaxed into that of the broken hearted for only a moment before complete shock caused his mouth to open when she revealed that she had been walking amongst the crew with her laces undone. Never mind that it showed nothing of her skin, but these men hadn’t seen a woman with her bodice unlaced unless they took shore leave.

“Bloody hell, woman!” He growled at her under his breath, pulling her closer to him so he could pull hard at the laces one handed. “These men will be fantasizing about you now. Don’t you know that you lace it up then turn the cincher belt around when you’ve got no help?” He sounded angrier than he was only in order to fend off the memories of helping Milah before. He did not want to show this side of himself to the princess, but she was managing to get under his skin. But he knew it was his fault for offering Milah’s clothes to her. What else could he have done? Allow her to prance about in her underdress? That would have been worse.

When the cincher was tied sufficiently enough, he returned to the wheel and kept his eyes away from Emma as he contemplated not answering her questions about Milah. So he said something that he regretted instantly at how heartless it sounded: “She’s dead.” Scowling, he barked an order at one of the crew members that was staring at the princess rather than working. “I’m going to have to keep you under lock and key, now. Unless I make an example of one of them to show them you’re off limits...” The truth was that they had known Milah as well and were probably experiencing similar nostalgia as he was. But he wouldn’t tolerate the crew neglecting their jobs. The island they were approaching would require special care to navigate due to the treacherous rocks in the water that kept the island mostly deserted. “To answer your earlier question about your fate, take a look.” He nodded forward at the island. It looked very similar to Neverland with its thick forests and a single mountain in the distance.

Zelena  
His expression puzzled Zelena, he looked like he had seen a ghost. When he rebuked her, even growled at her about walking around with her bodice open she remembered that a lot of crewmen had indeed looked at her in a strange way.

He pulled her closer and pulled the laces tighter than he was supposed to.  
"Ouch, I didn't know you intended to tie me to death," she complained, and was glad she could later loosen the front laces. He was clearly angry, but Zelena didn't understand why.  
"Why do you care about your men fantasizing about me, I'm sentenced to death by you anyway. Why care about me anymore? And no - I don't know how to get a bodice on by myself. I always have my personal maid and two or three other maids to help me get dressed. I don't even have to put on my shoes on my own."

Zelena didn't know why he was suddenly so harsh with her, and he hadn't answered her questions about that woman yet.  
She was just about to ask if he hadn't helped his spouse to get dressed as well, when he quite coldly said that she would be dead.

Zelena had to admit that she hadn't thought about that possibility, and she felt sorry for him. But before she could apologize he barked a sharp order at a crewmember and in the next moment ranted about having her keep under lock and key.  
"Just tell them they better not touch me," she said and was actually a bit scared. He had been angry before, but not... _that_ angry. There was something that had really hit him, and this time he was not annoyed, but furious.

It got worse for Zelena when he eventually answered her question about her fate. She followed his nod, and saw an island. It seemed uninhabited, and Zelena went pale.  
"You-you intend to abandon me there? Alone? You leave me to die a slow and horrible death?"  
This time, and her fate directly in sight, she was about to panic.  
She felt tears rising, but tried not to lose it.  
"You can't do that! Not because of a vision someone made up! I did nothing wrong, and I don't deserve any of this!"

Zelena looked around in panic. She needed a weapon, she had to take over the ship and sail back, she... had no chance.  
With all her willpower she suppressed her emotions, and glared at Killian.  
"It would be at least human if you simply shoot me."

Killian  
When she began to panic at realizing what he intended to do, Killian’s expression turned bleak as he watched her. He turned his head away again after a moment and scratched behind his ear, discomforted at the thought of leaving someone behind who had just admitted she didn’t even put her own shoes on her feet. She certainly would perish there without assistance. And he thought this would have been the most humane way to save his own heart and crew from the darkness that was prophesied. He couldn’t listen to her talk about a vision being false. The fortune teller had known him before she’d even laid eyes on him.

“Aye, you’ve done nothing wrong,” he admitted reluctantly, voice low as he slowly turned the wheel, “but you don’t understand. If I do nothing, I’m damning my crew, not to mention myself. I’m their captain. They elected me to lead them.”

His jaw worked as he thought over what he could possibly do, but saw no other alternative. “If I had wanted to kill you, I would have simply done so in the Forest outside your castle.”

Stepping away from the wheel as the anchor was dropped while they waited for the tide to change, Killian faced the princess but he could barely look at her for he knew he would see the panic in her eyes again. And with her dressed in those clothes, he knew he'd be too soft around her. Keeping the irritated glare on his face he gestured to her. “Come. You should eat. Your stomach is protesting and it’s midday. I may be a terrible bastard to you, but I’ll not let you starve.”

Zelena  
“Of course I don’t understand,” Zelena’s voice had a piercing tone. “I don’t understand why you believe such nonsense! It’s my _life_ you’re taking away for… for NOTHING! No one is damned until he damns himself! And you’re about to damn yourself. I can’t believe you honestly believe such things!”  
Zelena backed away from him.  
“Why didn’t you kill me right away when you saw me? You could simply have stabbed me!”

A rattling noise made Zelena turn around. She saw the anchor was dropped and when she looked back at Killian he had stepped away from the wheel.  
She couldn’t believe her ears when he actually suggested her to eat something.  
“You think I sit down now, have a nice breakfast, chat with you and walk with a smile to my execution? You’re nothing more than a terrible bastard, you’re right for once! What do you think happens when you leave me there? What may be worse - starving or die of thirst?”

She turned and walked away from him, or more - she tried to flee from him. She didn’t care about her safety when she simply grabbed for the next cutlass a pirate was wearing. He probably didn’t reckon that Zelena try to attempt to steal his weapon, but she did.  
She was still on the lower step when she turned around again, and aimed at Killian. This time she was determined not to lose her weapon, and she made sure he wouldn’t get a chance and simply fend the blade off with his hook.

In case Killian would look into her eyes he would see that she had nothing to lose and was deadly serious.  
“Tell your crew to abandon ship, they can swim to that island, and you will take me back!”  
This was probably not going to work, but Zelena didn’t think about that. She didn’t want to die, and she didn’t care if her plan was insane or not.

Killian  
Killian was intrigued when the princess stole the cutlass from one of the crew and turned around to threaten him with it. Now he was watching her eyes and he was no longer guarding his own. This move was entirely out of self defense, he saw, where the previous night’s threat had seemed only to test him. She was terrified now but she was very brave to do this on his ship. Her fierce nature was showing itself again just as she had fought against him the night before but now there were several blood-thirsty pirates beginning to approach from behind plus the one just before her. Once again, he saw a woman he could relate to. She was certainly his type just as Milah had been. Fierce women were a challenge and he’d always enjoyed that trait.

He was being watched by several pairs of eyes, so of course he had to react. For the moment, Killian lifted his arms at his sides as he took a step towards her just as he’d done the night before but this time he didn’t touch the hook to the sword. “My men have been with me for nearly two centuries, love. I’ll tell them to do no such thing.”

He took another step closer, wondering if she would really use that blade on him. “I’m curious... what do you think would happen if it was just you and me on this ship, alone? That you would assist me in navigating this ship? Who would weigh anchor? Who would furl the sails if a storm approached? Who would cook your bloody breakfast?”

He’d approached to the point where she could use that sword point on him or not, but he was not backing down. “And if you strike me down, what do you suppose they will do to you?” In his peripheral vision, he could see several pirates just at the bottom most step, waiting for an order to act.

Zelena  
When he made a step toward her, Zelena made one back. She held the cutlass with both of her hands, still determined to use it if necessary.  
Killian began to talk, and Zelena wondered why she thought unnecessarily long about the fact, that he was more than 200 years old. That was impossible, wasn’t it? And yet, he didn’t lie. She simply knew.  
She tried to focus again. Everything around her was chaos, and with the isle so close the scent of her own death had become too intense and far too real.

Killian went on talking, and Zelena felt her heart racing. He didn’t have to abandon her on this island, he was killing her right now by taking all her hope away.  
He made another step, and Zelena felt the railing in her back.  
“Stop talking,” she ordered him, but her voice trembled. She didn’t want to hear it, but he continued. His words made sense. She couldn’t point that cutlass at him the whole time, and even both of them would probably not manage to lift the anchor, not to mention setting sails.

He was so close now that Zelena could simply stab him. And then? She looked at the crew, some of them were grinning, ready to attack. They would simply tear her to pieces.  
The cutlass seemed to become heavier every second, and she couldn’t hold it anymore. With a ‘clank’ it dropped to the planks, and Zelena looked over her shoulder at the water below her. She could jump, and drown. That would be a terrible death too, but faster.  
Her hands felt for a grip to pull herself over board, but she halted.  
Very slowly she looked up at Killian, directly into his eyes, and her voice was like ice when she spoke.

“You were right yesterday. You took the wrong woman. I am _not_ the Princess. I’m her maid. And you have just damned yourself and everyone of your crew, _Captain_.”  
Zelena didn’t know if someone of the crew had heard her, but Killian had heard her.  
Her hands tightened around the wood.  
“I told you that I had to tell you something important. I’m not Princess Emma. My name is Zelena.”  
She reckoned that this would be her last words. She felt her vision becoming blurry and tried to tell her hands to do it, to pull her over board, but she couldn’t.  
She simply wasn’t ready to die, but she knew she would. If not for being the Princess now then because she had lied to him.  
Desperate and scared she stared at him, not knowing what he would do to her now .


	7. Chapter 7

Killian  
When the sword clattered to the ground, Killian took a step closer as the princess had backed herself to the railing and was looking over with desperation as she spoke. Killian’s eyes moved back and forth as he watched between her position and her eyes. She wouldn’t throw herself over, would she? 

When she revealed that he’d taken the wrong person, his suspicions confirmed, he stared back at her, Zelena, with incredulity. His mistake certainly had damned them all. 

There was a murmur circulating among the crew as they had heard what she’d said, but Killian had no time to focus on them. 

“Wait, please,” he said with a placating hand out. 

Smee had managed to squeeze through those at the bottom of the steps, and knowing his captain’s mind, grabbed Zelena around the middle to pull her hastily from the edge. 

The other pirates all began shouting in a sudden uproar. Different opinions of what should be done, and if they should return to kidnap the real princess, what to do with the maid, throw her over, don’t, what about the island, were they all still damned? So loudly that Killian couldn’t think! Discord was afoot and Killian couldn’t have that either. “Silence!” He yelled, but it did no good. The yelling and confusion continued. 

“Take her to my quarters and lock her in!” He told Smee so he could deal with the unruly pirates.

Zelena  
The noise of the unsatisfied and angry pirates became louder any moment, and Zelena could hear different suggestions. Most of them wanted to see her dead or proceed with the Captain’s plan to abandon her on the island. No one seemed to simply bring her back and let her live.  
She was doomed.  
Someone grabbed her around her waist, pulling her back from the railing and Killian yelled for silence to no use. 

Zelena surely didn’t intend to instigate mutiny, but it seemed she probably had.  
She didn’t fight back when Smee half push, half dragged her into the doubtful safety of the Captain’s quarters.  
He told her to stay there, and don’t try anything and left in a hurry to aid his Captain.  
Zelena could hear that he locked the door as he was ordered.

She stood there, tears now rolling down her cheeks, but she took some deep breaths to calm down. At least she was still alive. For now.  
Zelena sat down on the trunk, and noticed that her arse didn’t hurt so much anymore. Strange that she could think about such minor matter when she didn’t know if she was going to die this day.  
Maybe she should have told him earlier, right away before they had set sail, but he would have gone back and kidnap the real Princess, and either kept her as a prisoner or kill her right away.  
Anyway, it was too late now.  
She would have to wait. 

Killian  
It took nearly an hour but reassurances were made to the crew and Killian was confident again that he could go below decks to check on… Zelena. What a conundrum he’d gotten himself into.

He fished the key from his pocket but before inserting the key into the lock, he listened for any sound from within and wondered what trouble she may have gotten herself into. Expecting complete disarray inside, he sighed and unlocked the door. 

“Zelena?” He said as he pushed the door open.

Zelena  
The noises outside rose and fell. During the first quarter hour she awaited that the mob simply stormed in and take her, but eventually things became quiet again.  
She sat on the trunk and waited, only stood up from time to time when her arse hurt too much and stood at the window looking out.

When she heard that the door was opened she stood up again, and watched Killian entering, and calling for her. Actually by her real name.  
“I’m here,” she said and crossed her arms, not because she was going to argue but to protect herself.  
“Are you going to kill me now because I didn’t tell you who I am?”

Killian  
Upon seeing Zelena, Killian entered and shut the door behind himself. His eyes lifted briefly to the captive before looking around the quarters to notice she hadn’t spoiled everything all over the floor like he’d assumed. 

Would he kill her now? “No…” he said, but his tone sounded uncertain, lingering. “I’ve brought you something.” He withdrew a cloth covered bundle from his pocket and offered it. “A peace offering. It’s been some time since you’ve eaten.” She would find some bread and dried meat and cheese within. 

Killian was still feeling odd around this woman, princess or maid didn’t exactly change the feeling. She was wearing Milah’s clothes which also affected him, so he chose to back away and sit as his desk as he watched her. This situation with what to do with her was still weighing heavily upon him. 

“I should have realized you were not the princess. You would have had a guard with you rather than have been alone in the forest. I suppose… I was enamored with you and wanted to take you with me.” He gestured at her as his eyes took in this woman in his cabin but he still was unsure what to do with her. “The men want results, love. I must do something to satisfy them or they will abandon me. What is a captain without a crew? I’ll not be able to sail in this ship that holds very dear memories for me.” There was melancholy in his tone.

Zelena  
Zelena closed her eyes for a moment and sighed in relief when he said he wouldn’t kill her. However, she made a step back when he said he had brought her something as she reckoned it was something bad for her.  
Her eyes widened in surprise when he revealed a bundle and told her it would be a peace offering. Something to eat.

“After… all that happened you bring me something to eat?” Zelena looked from his eyes to the bundle he was holding out to her, and back into his eyes. “A peace offering?” Zelena wanted to make sure she had understood correctly and tried to find her courage again.  
Hesitantly she reached out for the bundle and took it, still keeping some distance.  
“Thank you,” she said. “Although I don’t understand it.”  
She was not hungry, but since she thought it was very nice that he had brought her something she didn’t want to alienate him.  
She took a seat opposite to him after he had sat down, opened the bundle and broke off a piece of bread.

It dropped from her hand when he said that he had been suspicious about her being a princess, and blushed when he used the words ‘enamored’ and ‘wanted to take her with him.’  
Zelena could handle threats and harsh words, but so far no one had complimented her. Especially not a man.  
However, he continued speaking and Zelena shoved the piece of bread into her mouth, and chewed while listening.  
She went pale when he told her that his men were not at all satisfied, and that he had to make things right, present them a solution if he didn’t want to lose them and his ship.

She swallowed, and felt sick.”So… what do they want you to do? Get back and kidnap the real Princess and kill her?”  
Zelena leaned slightly forward and looked directly into his eyes. “Why do you believe all this? Do you really think by killing Emma you have… a better life or something? She doesn’t even know you!”  
Since they were talking now, Zelena was interested in learning more about the ‘vision’ and why it was so important for Killian and his men to kill the Princess. 

Killian  
Killian rocked his head in a bit of a shrug of agreement. “Aye, that would be one acceptable solution to some. Others do not wish to take on such an endeavor again as we may have attracted notice for stealing you in the first place.” 

He traced his finger along his jaw as he watched Zelena eat and wondered just what she could suggest. But instead, she asked him why he believed these things. He grinned without really feeling it. “Pirates must pay attention to superstition and charms while on the seas. Any bad omens we ignore can mean the difference between life and death.” He sighed and dropped his hand to the desk while giving Zelena a very serious look. “I’ve been warned and ignored it before and the result was the death of the woman whose clothes you wear. She was my…” His words halted before he decided he may as well say it. “My perfect match. The crew adored her.” Not to mention how Killian felt about her.

Sobering a bit because the next part was far more serious as it involved Zelena. “I don’t know the princess, but our paths are foretold to be linked in darkness. Yet, I’ve gotten you instead. What shall I do with you…?”

Zelena  
“So, what are you going to do?”  
She shoved the food away to eat it later. Maybe. She offered it to Killian as well, and told him that she wasn’t hungry at the moment.  
Her eyes widened in shock when he told her that the clothes Zelena was wearing belonged to the woman he clearly had loved. The one who was dead.  
“I’m… sorry,” Zelena said. “If I had known… I-I’ll better get changed again.”  
She felt horrible and now understood why Killian had been so harsh to her, and the crew stared at her.  
Zelena assumed he would agree and leave so she could get changed, but he stayed and hinted out that he thought his path and Emma’s were somehow linked in the darkness.  
“That’s completely insane, how should Emma be responsible for your misfortune!” When she threw that sentence she almost missed his last question - a question most important for her, as it was about her.  
“What do you mean?” She became nervous. “I’m only a maid. In case you think I would tell anyone... I promise I won't! I'll never mention you if you just don't kill me! I don't want to die! Please."

Zelena's heart hammered in her chest. What could he do with her? If he didn't trust her to keep to herself what had happened, he couldn't let her go.  
"You also can't lock me up forever in case you thought about that."  
She thought about his previous words, that he wanted to take her with him because he enamored with her. Maybe there was another solution...  
Zelena swallowed. Her offer would be insane, but if it kept her alive...  
"I... could stay with you. I-If you like me, maybe I could... serve you in some special ways."  
Her own voice sounded strange. It was unthinkable for her at the moment, but she could adapt. Perhaps.  
She gave him a desperate look. "What do you _want_ to do with me?"

Killian  
Killian merely stared at Zelena when she ranted again about him killing her again and scoffed. “I don’t bloody care if you tell anyone about me. I’m notorious because my name is known, love.” He gestured at her and added, “And you’re more than a maid.” In fact, she reminded him more of a pirate than a housekeeper or lady’s maid. “I’ve never been so challenged by a woman. Did you give your princess such a difficult time as you have to me? Perhaps that’s why you were in the woods alone?” He smirked as he stood and rounded the desk, walking behind Zelena. “What do I want to do with you…?” He thought on it while pacing. “Serve me in a special way? You? You’d likely poison me or stab me as you’ve tried twice.” He shook his head as if dismissing the possibility. 

Zelena  
She flinched slightly and lowered her head when she realized that even her promise to not tell anyone about this was nothing he cared about.  
However, she also began to realize (or hope) that he did not intend to kill her anymore.  
Zelena's head came up when he basically complimented her about being so challenging. If it wouldn't have been him who told her that she might not have taken it as a compliment, but he was a pirate, and as far as she could tell - pirates liked challenges. He had said himself before - every other royalty would probably have been boring.  
And Zelena had liked being free and for once fight back. 

All her life she had been a prisoner of the rules and regulations first by her father then of the royal protocol. Although she considered Emma as a friend and was more than thankful that she and her parents had given her a good life, she had felt suppressed and more than once even Emma had shared with her that always staying nice and do what others told her to do or behave was something she didn't like.  
And Zelena had always felt this fire in her. More than once she was tempted to rant about things that were not fair or had liked to give a good answer to people who were so arrogant, but she couldn't. She was not allowed to. That had changed with the pirate.  
It seemed that all her suppressed emotions throughout the years had erupted at once by this impertinence of this pirate who dared to charme her first, then hit her with something (admittedly it was not him but his helper), kidnap her and threaten her.

And right now, when her execution seemed to be averted and she thought she would even hear a spur of admiration when he said she had been challenging, she felt that fire in her rising again when he began to tease her again.  
He walked behind her, and mumbled probably more to himself, trying to decide what to do with her. She even felt a tiny smile appear on her lips when he pointed out that she would probably rather poison or stab him instead of 'serving' him.

"Then teach me how to sword fight so next time I challenge you my chances are fair. I owe you more than kicking your shin again."  
Where did those words come from? Zelena's eyes widened about her audacity, but it was the truth! Why not learn how to defend herself properly? The woman whose clothes she was wearing had obviously been someone with a strong personality. Someone he had loved. And Zelena felt attracted to this pirate. So why not staying on her free will?

Killian  
“Next time? Ha!” Despite the fact that she had just threatened him again, he still felt the smile tugging at his lips. “You challenge me without ceasing. And I meant what I said about tying you to the mast if you kick me again. Or perhaps you’d prefer being the maiden of the figurehead? Hmm?” He was teasing of course. He wouldn’t really tie her to the front of the ship. If she was terrified by being left on that island, he couldn’t imagine her terror as the waves crashed at the bow of the ship. 

As he eyed Zelena sitting in the chair, watching him back, he thought he might have a solution to the problem. “You’re a brave lass. I may teach you a great many things about life at sea but I’ll not put a blade in your hand until you can be trusted. If you wish to stay with me, that is…” The men would grow accustomed to Zelena in time but Killian would always have that bad omen lingering in the back of his mind.

Zelena  
She smirked. The tension between them had eased again, and they were back to tease each other. Zelena liked it. She stood up, and turned to him.  
“You still treat me improperly. And you wouldn’t dare tie me to the mast or the figurehead! Your men would tear me into pieces or I would drown. Aside from that I am trustworthy. Last night I sure could have done something to you, but I didn’t.”  
She tilted her head and gave him a sassy look. “Admit it, you like me. You like that I’m not boring, and you like to have someone who gives you a piece of her mind.”

Zelena made a step closer and hesitantly placed her hand on his chest, right over his heart while she looked into his eyes.  
“I’d like to stay, but I insist on having fighting lessons. Next time someone intends to kidnap me, I want to do better than scream and being hit.”  
There was also something else she had to clarify. “And I’m not your deceased love, although I’m wearing her clothing. So don’t compare me to her. I’m me, not her. Just… in case.”  
Zelena bit her lip, and very gently kicked him against his shin. It was not intended to harm him, and she said “That was for your tying me up last night.”  
Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled wickedly at him. “Think again about giving me a blade, it might be worth it.”

Killian  
“They won’t tear you to pieces,” Killian said, still with the grin on his face as he watched her argue for her life. He did like her, to his own demise, he’d thought. But now that she wasn’t going to be the cause of his own destruction, he might be able to act upon that fondness. 

She touched his chest and his grin lowered as she asked for lessons and reminded him that she was not Milah. “Aye, I’m well aware of who you are. Now...” he added since she had concealed her identity before. Milah had never kicked him repeatedly--like Zelena just bloody did again!--and he’d never had to tie Milah up. Zelena was something entirely different. His eyes narrowed as she asked for a blade after assaulting his shin again, despite it not hurting at all, but she was testing his patience and his word. 

“The last time you asked for a blade, you got your pretty arse smacked. I suppose you didn’t learn from that, aye?” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him, his hand in her hair as he kissed her. She wanted to stay with him, and taunt and test him; she should know what she’s asking for.

Zelena  
She shook her head when he asked her if she hadn’t learned what would happen if she asked for a blade, but she beamed at him.  
“No, can’t say that.”  
This time Zelena knew he wouldn’t punish her for kicking, and he didn’t. This time it had been different. Instead he pulled her close, she could feel his hand in her hair and finally he kissed her.  
Zelena wrapped her arm around his neck, slid her free hand through his hair and returned the kiss. The sensation was unbelievable. She was instantly drunk by this feeling, and she pulled him closer, and put all her passion and fire into this first kiss.  
She wished he would never let her go.


	8. Chapter 8

Zelena  
When they eventually broke the kiss, Zelena gasped for breath.  
“I knew you’d like me.” She kissed his cheek again, and stepped back. Her eyes wandered to the door with all the pirates behind it.   
“So, if you let me stay, what are you going to tell your crew? And what should I do? Do I get my own quarters or can I continue sleeping in your bed? I have to say you have plenty of room here.”

Killian  
The kiss had been much more than he expected and when they parted, Killian was slightly light headed but pleased that she hadn’t slapped him for making an advance on her. 

Again Zelena asked about the crew and he still did not have an exact answer for her, but he sighed and sat on the edge of his desk. “I’m their captain whom they elected, but I must speak in their interests. But…” His finger traced over his lips with the remaining feeling of the kiss still there and his eyes raised to meet Zelena’s. “I suppose if you’re part of my crew, they would have to take you in as one of their own.” He smirked, satisfied with that idea for now. “And as for your quarters… the crew sleep in the hull on bunks and hammocks. I don’t suppose you’d fancy that, aye? It is closer to the loo...” He grinned, teasing her further as he tapped his lips, pondering. The prior night had been decent after he’d finally fallen asleep, and well after Zelena had kicked him out of his own bed. For that alone, he thought he should make her take a bunk with the crew, but then again, he’d slept soundly for the rest of the night. Having a warm body in his bed held the potential of being quite nice and enjoyable.

Zelena  
“You think they will accept me that simply? I…” she hesitated. Was she still his prisoner or had she been his prisoner? She decided to make it clear that she wasn’t his prisoner anymore and finished her sentence. “...was your prisoner an hour ago. What if they blame me for everything? And speaking of omens - I think everyone knows that pirates think that women on board are a bad omen.”  
She was indeed worried about the crew and the situation, although Killian had told her they would follow him since he was their elected Captain. 

When he changed the topic and answered her question about her new quarters, Zelena ground her teeth. “You wouldn’t let me sleep amongst your crew, would you? Is there no other cabin? Don’t you ever have passengers? Oh wait - right, I forgot… the brig.”  
Zelena rolled her eyes. Although he hadn’t offered to stay with him she said “don’t say you didn’t enjoy a tied up and helpless Princess by your side. Since I know now where the loo is I don’t have to wake you again, although it was rather fun to kick you out of your bed… Captain Floor.” Zelena wiggled her eyebrows. She simply loved teasing him.

Killian  
“Now _that_ is nonsense. Women are not ill luck on ships.” Milah had been on the Jolly Roger for eight years after all. “That rumor was spread by various captains in order to keep their men in line. We couldn’t have them bringing whores aboard from port to port. Could you imagine the dereliction of duty?!” 

Grinning, for he was in a good mood now, he reached out for her hand simply for want of touching her. “Aye, the brig,” he answered with a chuckle. No, he wouldn’t be locking her in there again. “And you haven’t been my prisoner since… whatever hour you escaped your ropes, love. I think it’s clear you’re no helpless princess as you seem to have a tendency to lash out. But if you prefer my bed to sharing with the crew, I suppose I could tie you up again.” He winked at her as he pulled her closer again. “It’s Captain _Hook_ to you,” he mumbled against her lips.

But speaking of dereliction of duty, he was neglecting his own. So instead of kissing her again, he sighed and stood from the desk. “We’ll be embarking for the island within the hour. Oranges and coconuts have been spied, so we’ll stock up the food stores.” 

Zelena  
“It is?” Now Zelena was truly surprised when Killian told her having women on board was a rumor. “But fortune tellers are no rumors, right?”  
However, when he mentioned bringing whores aboard she realized that he was right.   
“I see, having women on board can be… distracting. I hope I wasn’t distracting you in any way, was I?” She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled innocently.

She chuckled when she thought about finding out that it had been actually quite easy to get rid of the rope.  
“Well, I have to say you made it easy for me to free myself. I’m wondering - did you do it on purpose to test me, or… are you always tying up your prisoners so poorly? I suggest you use a real knot next time. And maybe I will accept your offer of being tied up again, because it was quite arousing to fight you. And I have some problems with command structures. Captain Floor,” she added after he had pulled her closer and mumbled that she had to address him as Captain Hook.

Their lips were so close, but didn’t touch each other, and Zelena whispered, “No worries, I can behave when we’re not alone. At least I try, Captain Hook.”  
Unfortunately he didn’t kiss her again, but seemed to remember that he was the Captain of this ship. Duty called.   
Zelena followed him with her eyes, and got actually excited when he told her that they would visit the island to stock up the food stores.  
“Can I come along? I haven’t had a bath in days, I’d like to take the opportunity and get clean again. I can also help with collecting fruits.”

Killian  
Again she called him Captain Floor and mocked his ability to tie a good rope. Killian gave Zelena a tense look as he answered. “I was tired! And besides… you tricked me. I should have tied your arms behind you again.” He smirked, however, as he realized she might be inviting him to tie her up again. “Next time, you can be certain I’ll make it hard on you.” She could take the innuendo or not. The point was that he accepted her challenge. For later. 

“As for now,” he inhaled with a shake of his head at the thought of leaving the cabin with the promise of fighting her again later, “we’ll get our land legs again. You’ll take the rowboat with me.”

Zelena  
“I can’t wait to tire out and trick you again,” Zelena snorted slightly when he made up an excuse.  
“And I thought you were quite awake after you hit the floor.” She smiled at him. “Well, maybe I should tie up _you_. I think I have to return the favor anyway.” Her eyes were sparkling when she even thought of that.   
“A pirate Captain all to my mercy…” She scrutinized him, and bit her lower lip before she changed the topic.

“Well, I hope I remember how to walk on land. After you, Captain.”   
Zelena bowed and waited for him to take the lead. Before he would leave she hesitated.  
“Wait, does the crew know about… me? I mean… do you have to talk to them first or am I under your personal protection from now on?”  
She had a queasy feeling about simply walking out there. Last time when the crew saw her she was threatening the Captain with a cutlass and caused almost a mutiny by telling them she wouldn’t be the Princess. 

Killian  
Killian’s eyes narrowed slightly in wondering if he’d made a mistake. She thought she could tie _him_ up? “You still need to learn how it is on my ship, love.” At least she was still calling him Captain. No, it would not do to have the newly freed crew member taking over the ship, or the captain. 

“The men will do as they’re told. I’ve abated their… concerns for now, but mind your arse.” He made an obviously leer at her ass as he was reminded over what it looked like as he had to smack her with the sword. As an extra warning, he added. “I may not be the only one with a thirst for vengeance on this ship.” Because of the bad omen that had been plaguing him and the ship, he had lost far too many crew members to simply throw the ones he suspected into the Boo Box, or overboard at the earliest convenience. And besides, that was not Killian’s style. He knew these men. He knew their best and worst qualities and they knew his. What they did not know were Zelena’s. “It’s best if you stay near until they can trust you.” What better way for even the captain to find if he could truly trust her…

Zelena  
"You wouldn't dare and use the sword to whap me again," she said glaring at him. "It still hurts when I sit too long!"   
If Zelena was honest her arse was not as badly injured as her pride. She would pay him back on that one.   
But for now she relaxed a bit when he told her that she was safe as long as she was close to him. Well, it wouldn’t be that bad to have him around, she thought.  
“Do you think someone still intends to kill me because of the foreseeing nonsense?”

She followed Killian to the rowboat and was glad when she managed to get in without falling overboard or looking like a complete idiot. In fact, she managed to climb down the rope ladder smoothly, and took a seat.   
“That was not that difficult,” she commented. Killian and two of his crew joined her, and while the two other pirates began to row, Zelena looked at the island that came closer every second.  
“I can’t believe you intended to leave me here, do you think I would have managed to survive?”  
It was a serious question. Zelena had already heard that fruits were growing there, and that meant there must be freshwater too.  
“You did not really intend to kill me, did you?”  
She dared to ask this question as long as she kept her voice low so the other two wouldn’t hear her. Luckily they kept a respectful distance to their Captain and his false Princess.

Killian  
Killian grinned broadly as Zelena complained about her ass still hurting. He had enjoyed teaching her that lesson.

“Don’t worry. If anyone’s to be killed, it shall be done by my hand. Or hook.” His eyes raised as he pondered briefly, to add with a slight shake of his head, “They may enjoy roughing up a woman every now and then when she’s wronged them in some way, but generally, I’m the worst of the lot.” He winked good-naturedly at Zelena with the prideful remark about himself. “As I said, stay by me and they’ll not touch you.”

Once the rowboat was lowered to the ocean, the two crew members accompanying them did the work of rowing while Killian watched the coast and the rocks with his spyglass. “Navigate portside, mates. You’re rowing directly to the rocks,” he advised. 

He lowered the spyglass at Zelena’s question and saw the seriousness in her eyes. His own eyes flicked to his side to indicate that they had an audience that could overhear his answer. Would he have killed her? He answered without bothering to lower his voice. If they heard, at least they would know he wasn’t hiding anything from them. “You were far too sheltered in the castle. You seem not to know pirates very well, love,” he answered while wincing against a ray of sunlight that passed through the clouds. “What do you think?” 

Zelena  
Zelena had only rolled her eyes when she heard him talking about himself being the ‘worst’ of the lot.  
For now she didn’t comment on this, but got into the rowboat.

Killian used a spyglass to have a closer look at the water and navigated his men to avoid the rocks.  
Then he looked at her, and Zelena wondered why he didn’t keep his voice low. His men must hear him!  
That clever bastard managed to evade a direct answer, probably to keep up appearances in front of his crewmen. He even made it easy for him and gave the question back to Zelena.  
The young woman curled her lips, and crossed her arms.

“I was not sheltered in the castle, the Princess was.” That was not the truth, but Zelena was angry that he didn’t answer her question. She wanted to know if she could trust him with her life or not.  
“And I know pirates well enough to know that they kidnap innocent people, drink rum and whore around. Especially the Captains, as it seems.”  
Zelena bit her tongue, but it was too late. Her carping tongue had brought her more than once into trouble, but her temper was not easy to control. Normally Emma had managed to calm her down and eased the situation diplomatically, but she wasn’t here anymore.   
Zelena gave Killian a stubborn look and refused to answer his question too.

Killian  
Killian’s eyebrows shot up, wholly amused at her outburst. It seemed he’d struck a nerve. “Oh, you think I whore around? I won’t deny your accusations but I’ll note that I didn’t touch you last night when I could have despite your curling against me like a cat. Well… aside from what I did to your arse. But I didn’t touch you.” The twinkle of challenge in his eyes shifted from her to the coastline again which presented its own challenge to them all. 

“Mind the one just there,” he said, pointing at a rock that was being concealed by the surf. Without much incident, the rowboat reached the pounding waves and Killian and the two rowers jumped out when the water was around knee deep and heaved the boat to shore. 

Glancing around at the beach, Killian squinted against the brightness in either direction. He saw no signs of motion that might indicate the island was inhabited. Satisfied he reached out to offer Zelena a hand out.

Zelena  
“I’m used to have more than one pillow in my bed. I just needed a replacement and believe me - you did a horrible job as pillow.” Zelena snapped at him. “And you didn’t touch me because you wanted to sleep. _Actually_... you did touch me! Why do you think I kicked you out of your bed?”  
She had noticed the grin on the face of his men when they heard their Captain. Well, maybe she could make them grin too - but this time at Killian’s cost.

Zelena fell silent when Killian gave instructions for his men to navigate around a stone, and eventually they landed at the shore. When the men jumped out into the water to heave the boat to shore, Zelena almost toppled over when the boat moved in an unexpected direction, but she managed to preserve her dignity. She only touched Killian’s hand lightly and jumped out of the boat more without his help. 

She looked around and couldn’t help but smile. This island was paradisaic. The water was clear and she could see some corals and fish. There were palms lining the shore and in some distance the vegetation began.   
She closed her eyes for a moment, and inhaled the air deeply. Then she looked at Killian.  
“So, can I take my bath now or do I have to collect fruits first?”

Killian  
Getting the rowboat to shore was a challenge with how hard the waves crashed and with a passenger that was lurching about in the boat. It would have been amusing enough if she had fallen face first into the water when she refused his offer of help, but she didn’t. Thus deprived, Killian only smirked as he turned his eyes away from Zelena to the men as they carried the now emptied boat up the beach to prevent it from being captured by the tide. 

“If you’d like your bath in that surf, be my guest, but I’ll not leave you alone. You could drown or any number of bad omens could befall you.” There was a twinkle of challenge in his eye as he said this. “Or, you can accompany me farther inland as we pick the vegetation and search for a freshwater source.” He gestured with the hook toward a trail which parted the palm trees.

Zelena  
Maybe he was right, and taking a bath in the ocean was not the best idea. However, Zelena would not admit that he was simply right. "Right, you believe in bad omens, how could I forget. Well, to make you feel better, I'll make it easy for you." She made a gesture with her hand toward the trail his hook pointed at. "After you."

She followed him and soon they found the first bush that was full of berries. Zelena gathered a handful of the purple fruits and was about to taste them.   
"Did you bring something along to carry all this?" She shoved one berry into her mouth.

Killian  
She would make it easy for him? Killian only grinned, but he felt she was only humoring him with pretty lines. Nothing about Zelena had been easy thus far and he doubted that would change. 

Dipping his head in acknowledgement, while keeping his eyes on her, he began to stroll casually through the sand toward the trees. His attention was on the vegetation and any potential wildlife that might be watching them, so when Zelena spoke up, he turned around to answer. But when he saw the bush she was standing by and their deep purple color, his eyes flew wide. With two long-legged strides, he slapped the handful out of her hand. “Spit that out!” he yelled at her as he reached to grasp her jaw to force her mouth open. He sounded angry, but he was instantly terrified that she might have gotten some of the juice on her tongue or worse yet, swallowed it. “Bloody hell! Tell me you didn’t taste it yet! That’s Nightshade!” 

She had not been exaggerating earlier when she had said she would die on the island alone. Evidently, she might die even while accompanied.

**Author's Note:**

> This works has been written in a role play group on MeWe. We are always searching for new members. If you think our style matches with yours, find our group and apply to join us at www.mewe.com/join/evermoreouatrp
> 
> We love AUs, canon, canon divergence, curses, and filling plot holes. 
> 
> Please leave us a review! Thanks!


End file.
